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Mexican Quinoa Stew

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 148 reviews

You’re going to love this Mexican quinoa stew! It’s hearty, easy to make and tastes amazing. This soup recipe is vegan and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 large or 6 more modest bowls.

This hearty vegan quinoa soup will fill you up but won't weigh you down!

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil (I opted to use 1 tablespoon olive oil instead)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
  • 1 ½ cups cooked black beans or 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • ½ cup quinoa (dry/uncooked)
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for extra heat, optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Optional garnishes (my ideas): extra chopped cilantro, small wedges of lime, diced avocado, crumbled tortilla chips, grated cheese, sour cream…

Instructions

  1. In a medium Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and jalapeños. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the water, tomatoes, beans, cumin, salt, quinoa, cilantro and cayenne pepper (if using). Season with pepper and bring the soup to a boil.
  3. Once boiling, lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Once the quinoa is tender, add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. You can serve this soup right away or use an immersion blender to purée a couple cups of this soup—this helps to thicken the soup while still leaving some texture (I may have overdone it a bit).
  4. Divide into bowls and serve with any garnishes that you’d like. Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Recipe reprinted with permission from No Excuses Detox, copyright © 2017 by Megan Gilmore, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Megan’s Instant Pot guidance: Sauté the aromatics (everything listed in step 1) in your Instant Pot with the olive oil. Add the ingredients listed in step 2. Securely seal the lid according to the manufacturer’s instructions and cook for 8 minutes on high pressure. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then carefully remove the lid. You might want to blend a couple cups of the soup as suggested in step 3. Serve with garnishes of your choice.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.