Quinoa Vegetable Soup with Kale
This healthy homemade vegetable soup recipe is full of veggies, kale and quinoa. It's easy to make and good for you, too! Vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
Weโve been living in a winter wonderland lately. Weโve gotten so much snow that my dog, Cookie, can barely keep her head above it when we go outside (sheโs smaller than you think). Iโm thankful to have electricity and gearing up for more winter weather this weekend.
This hearty soup is exactly what I need. Itโs brimming with fresh veggies and warms me right up. Soup to the rescue!
This homemade vegetable soup with quinoa is light but filling and packs great for lunch. Like most soups, it tastes even better the next day. Bonus? It freezes well, too. I love keeping my freezer stocked with hearty soups and defrosting one whenever I need a quick but nutritious meal.
This soup is vegan unless you want to top it with Parmesan cheese, which isnโt a bad idea if you ask me. The ingredients list, while a little on the long side, includes mostly pantry items. Every single one of them is nutritious!
Quinoa Vegetable Soup Recipe Development
Confession: the idea for this soup recipe came from Trader Joeโs. (You know what they say about grocery shopping while hungry.) A few years ago, their โvegetable soup with quinoa and kaleโ caught my eye in the refrigerated section right as my stomach grumbled.
I was initially skeptical about quinoa in soup (will it get mushy? does the flavor play nicely with the other ingredients?), but now Iโm only wondering what took me so long to try it.
Quinoa was meant for soup. It lends some extra protein and hearty texture. Unlike most other vegetable soups, which are too light to count as a full meal, this is a true meal-in-a-bowl if you eat enough of it.
I adapted this recipe from my lentil soup, which has gotten quite a few raving reviews. I hope you enjoy this one just as much.
Recipe Notes & Tips
I wrote the recipe so itโs easily adapted to seasons. Winter squash would be lovely in place of the zucchini that I used.
This soup straddles the line between soup and stew, but whatever you call it, itโs delicious.
If you want more of a soup, use 3/4 cup quinoa and 1 cup seasonal veggies. If you want more of a stew, use a full cup of quinoa, two cups of seasonal vegetables and throw in some extra greens.
Watch How to Make Quinoa Soup
Please let me know how you like this soup in the comments! I love hearing from you.
If you enjoy this soup, be sure to check out my minestrone, lentil soup, Meganโs quinoa stew, and the hearty soup recipes in my cookbook.
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
This healthy homemade vegetable soup recipe is full of veggies, kale and quinoa. Itโs easy to make and good for you, too! This soup makes great leftovers. Itโs gluten free and vegan, as long as you donโt top it with optional Parmesan cheese. Recipe yields 4 to 6 servings of soup.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 to 2 cups chopped seasonal vegetables, like zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, sweet potatoes or butternut squash
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ยฝ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
- Scant 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well in a fine mesh colander (use less for a lighter, more broth-y soup)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 can (15 ounces) great northern beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup or more chopped fresh kale or collard greens, tough ribs removed
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
- Optional garnish: freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, seasonal vegetables and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often.
- Pour in the quinoa, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 bay leaves and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the beans and the chopped greens. Continue simmering for 5 minutes or more, until the greens have softened to your liking.
- Remove the pot from heat, then remove the bay leaves. Stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice until the flavors really sing. (You might need up to ยฝ teaspoon more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and your personal preferences.) Divide into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if youโd like.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Trader Joeโs organic vegetable soup with quinoa and kale. Recipe adapted from my lentil soup recipe.
Seasonal vegetable preparation tips: If youโre using dense vegetables like butternut or sweet potato for your seasonal vegetables, be sure to chop them as small as youโre chopping your carrots so they cook in the same amount of time.
Slow cooker option: I havenโt tried, but Sarah reports that her soup turned out well after 8 hours on low heat.
Storage suggestions: This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for about 4 days. It freezes and defrosts well if you want to freeze extra portions for later!
Make it dairy free/vegan: Donโt garnish with Parmesan.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made this last night and it was enjoyed by all who ate it! I had to use frozen green bean instead of kale, that what was available! I added sweet potatoes, which worked out well. I has some Parmesan cheese rind which I added when I put in the bay leaves. This also worked well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you for sharing, Jill!
Making the soup now. Wondering if anyone has tried black beans in it. Also, nutritional information not coming up. Every recipe of yours that I have made have been delicious. Thank you so much for this blog.
Hi Kathy! Iโm sorry the nutritional information wasnโt working for you. It should be now. Thanks for your review!
I used zucchini and red and green bell peppers and canned whole tomatoes instead of chopped (I think the whole tomatoes have a little more flavor). Really excellent soup! All of the recipes I have tried have all been grandโฆthanks so much!
Thanks for sharing, Curtis!
Awesome and just delicious!! My whole family loved it including my 4 year old. I did include celery and lemon juice. Thanks a million for sharing!!
Thatโs great, Jeannette!
Made this today for lunch โ itโs terrific. Added an extra carrot (didnโt want one sad carrot left in the fridge), and used kale as well as a small quantity of spinach. Also added the juice of a small lemon, after a taste test with 1/2 lemon. This made a lot of soup and I froze two lunchesโ worth while refrigerating the rest. Thanks for a great recipe!
Great, Robin!
I made this soup and couldnโt be more satisfied by the results!!! Everyone in my family who ate it opined in how delicious, healthy and desirable this soup is!! Iโm a fan of all your recipes! Thanks cookie & Kate always for sharing your knowledge, and great healthy taste for food!
Iโm glad you loved it and other recipes! Thanks, Mari.
Absolutely delicious! Posted it on Instagram. Went ahead and bought two of your cookbooks โ one for me and one for a vegan friend.
Kudos!!
Elizabeth, thank you so much! Hope you and your friend find lots of new favorite recipes in the book. So glad you enjoyed this one!
Had the soup again last night with cheese quesadillas on the side. Soooo good! Should get the cookbook today! Itโs freezing here in DC so a perfect day to stay in and try some of your recipes. Keep up the good work!
Delicious! I used non-dairy cheese as a topper; my veggies were onions, carrots, celery, red pepper and sweet potatoes.
Sounds delicious, Jocelyn!
I just finished eating this and it was delicious! First recipe I have made from your site and super satisfied! I used zucchini, bell pepper and seeet potato along with the carrots, kale and celery. I put in a sprig of fresh rosemary and thyme + one extra bay leaf. Cooking times were much longer for me, maybe I cut everything too big but I love chunks of veggies (and am a bit lazy with chopping). Therefore, the quinoa really bulked up making more of a stew than soup but thatโs still great in my book! Thanks Cookie and Kate. Will go in rotation as soon as I finish off what I was able to put in the freezer!
This is a great one to start with! The side you chop things does really make a difference. Thanks for sharing, Shannon! I appreciate the review.
Can I ask a question please.
Is the quinoa uncooked or cooked when you put it into the pot? Sorry if this question sounds dumb but there are recipes that used the quinoa cooked.
It is uncooked when you put it into the pot. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for you reply, will be cooking it this weekend, with the help of my 11 year old granddaughter, so hereโs hoping it turns out as well as other people on here have said it does.
This soup is truly awesome!!!
Iโm happy you love it, Heather!
Absolutely love the sweet potato and black bean veggie burgers! Iโm going to have to get your book.
Thank you on both accounts! Let me know what you think of the book when you get it, Kathy.
Delicious! I was really surprised by these flavors. I was expecting a tomatoey taste and was going to omit the tomatoes, but I wanted to try the recipe as Kate made it. I am glad I followed the recipe! And, I will definitely make this again.
Iโm happy to hear that, Joanne! Thanks for the review.
Kate, Made the recipe for the Quinoa Vegetable with Kale soup today utilizing zucchini, sweet potato, and red and green peppers. Didnโt have bay leaves so I substituted oregano and marjoram. Worked like a charm. The soup was delicious, healthful and filling. Thank you for this recipe. Looking forward to trying others.
Just one question, do you have any tips for how I can more efficiently cut up the vegetables, especially the Mirepoix, other than improving my knife skills โ perhaps some kind of device?
Hi Larry! Iโm glad you really liked this soup. I guess you could use a food processor and lightly chop them in there? They might get to finely chopped, though.
I know of several people who use a french fry press and cut them 1st one direction and put them in sideways to cut the other direction or they take the fry shapes, pile them on top of one another and slice the rest of the dice with a sharp knife. Works well for most everthing except really big carrots.
Great recipe you have shared here. Will try to make it.
Thanks!
Used chicken broth otherwise followed exactly. Delicious! love your sit. Fabulous healthy meal ideas. Thanks for sharing.
Elaina
Thanks for sharing Elaina!
I have a question as Iโm making this now. The seasonal vegetables, it says 2 cups, is that each vegetable or total of all of them?
2 cups total, Sandy. :)
I absolutely loved this soup! Question regarding the nutrition label. It says there are 6 servings, but what is the exact serving size?
Iโm glad you love it, Rachel! Roughly 1-1.5 cups should be about a serving.
I made this for the first time this week and itโs a HIT. Love it with the Parmesan on top, but Iโd gobble it up plain as well. My favourite new recipe for this month, so far :)
Iโm happy to hear that, Joy! Thanks for your review.
I made this last week and am already craving it again! It was delicious and filling! It is most definitely a new staple in my soup rotation.
Great, Julia! Thanks for your review. Iโm glad you are loving this soup.
Delicious, like all your recipes! This soup along with your โkale pesto pizzaโ will be dinner tonight! Making โBrussel Sprouts with crispy baked tofuโ this week as well. Also, there is always your โthe very best granolaโ in my cupboard for my hubby! Love your recipes! My go-to app every single week for meal planning! Thank you for sharing all your great recipes!
Thanks so much for sharing, Alex! Iโm happy you are enjoying the recipes.
Very hearty! Mine turned out more like a stew as I used more than 2 cups of vegetables. Good for a full meal.
I love how many recipes you are trying. Thanks for sharing you loved another one, Julia!
My go to soup! So delicious,thanks!
Iโm happy to hear it, Jeri!
Iโm excited to try your recipe! Do you add or cooked beans or how long do you cook the beans for?
Hi! I used pre-cooked beans. See the ingredient list (toward the bottom) and step 4. Hope this helps!
Making this soup tomorrow and was wondering if itโs okay to cook the quinoa separately and then add it to the pot?
You can, but you will want to decrease some of the liquid. Itโs really great with the quinoa cooked in as it gets more of the flavor as it cooks. Let me know what you think!
This is delicious! My husband loved it.
Iโm happy to hear that, Melanie!
This soup is SO SO good! Iโve added it to my rotation of soups, and am always so sad when I finish up the last bowl. It was a hit with my boyfriend as well! Thank you for creating and sharing this amazing recipe :)
Iโm glad you liked it, Caroline! Thank you for your review.
Just made this for idnner. really easy, so good. I used leftover cooked quinoa & oven-roasted kale from dinner last night. Also an orange pepper, onion, celery, & carrot. But I think this would be good with about any veggies. Really good & filling, love the stew consistency.
Thank you for sharing, Erin!
Hey Erin!
Iโm hoping to use up some cooked quinoa also. Did you put it in later since it was cooked? And did you decrease the amount of water added?
Itโs been a while but I believe I omitted the 2c water and added the cooked quinoa later with the beans. You can always add water back in later if it seems to need it.
I am currently on mat leave and this is my lunch plan. I am having a blast making all 17 of these soups. I am not a vegetarian but I love vegetarian food so upon stumbling across these soups I decided to make one a week. Just finished week four and have been thrilled each week. I follow the receipes as written. I have ordered the book for more ideas. Thank you so much for this collection.
Thatโs great! Iโm happy to hear you are enjoying it, Jessica.
I made this for a friend recovering from surgery. Do you have a suggestion for a side salad? I have lots of kale leftover.
Thanks!
That is so sweet! Here are some kale salads from my blog. It really depends on what you are looking for! https://sooka.info/search/?q=kale%20salad
After a weekend in Charleston, overeating delicious food, I needed a warm bowl of vegetables! I made this for lunch and Iโm loving it. I love the kick of the crushed pepper and the brightness that the lemon adds. Iโll eat this all week for lunch!
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts, Lisalen!
Delicious soup! Thank you!
Youโre welcome, Deanne! Thanks for your review.
Delicious! I made this for dinner last night and just finished eating leftovers for lunch today. This will be put on the โkeeperโ list!
Iโm glad it made the keeper list! Thanks for your review, Julia.
This soup is so tasty! Iโm always looking for hearty soups that will eat like a meal for lunches and this one hit the nail on the head. Iโm in love with this soup and so many more of your recipes. Thank you for making a cook book and I love your blog as well.
Iโm happy to hear you love this one and the others, Kathy!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us, Kate! It was my first time cooking with quinoa and I am delighted with the way it turned out in this recipe and that I can use it as a substitute for rice or bread to accompany the soup. I made this recipe with purple cauliflower, zucchini, butternut pumpkin, carrot and celery and it was so divine I went for a second helping!! This hearty, nutritious recipe will definitely keep my family warm for the chilly Australian winter we will soon be experiencing. Much appreciate your fabulous recipes, Kate!!!
Great recipe. It was a little bit of work but the soup was so good! Especially with the parmesan you recommended.
Thank you
Youโre welcome, Donald! Thank you for your feedback.
This soup has become my go-to! Itโs delicious, easy to make and incredibly healthy, you can add any veggies to it that you have or want. I love, love, love your recipes!
Iโm so happy to hear that, Melissa!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! The โseasonalโ veggies I used were: zucchini, yellow squash, and butternut squash. I used black beans instead of white.
Thanks for sharing, Dena!
I absolutely adored this recipe! I made it like a stew, but I am a huge fan of more broth.. I could have made it with less quinoa and vegetables, but I LOVE quinoa and extra veggies! In fact, I loaded it down with veggies! I used yellow squash, zucchini, a small sweet potato, and a red pepper as my seasonal vegetables. Went a little over board, I know, but it was so good! I guess if I just add extra vegetable broth and water, it would make it more soupy without losing my extra vegetables and quinoa, right?
Thanks for sharing! Yes, you can add additional liquid if you like. But, you may want to add a little more seasoning too.
Which vegetable broth do you like to use? Going to make this for my husband!
I donโt have a go-to brand, but do buy organic when possible. Recently, Whole Food 365 and Trader Joes have been super yellow. To me, they just donโt look that appealing, but taste fine!
I love your soup, just ordered your book! I wanted to share an idea with you- this soup has the making a wonderful Maryland Crab Soup (with or without the crab) by simply adding Old Bay Seasoning to taste !
Thank you for your support, Beverly! I hope you enjoy my book!
Even though its almost summer I made this last night to be my lunch for the week and it is AMAZING. Thanks for encouraging flexibility with what veggies go in!!
Youโre welcome, Julia! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Apologies in advance if this has already been answered, but do you have any recommendations for modification for an Instant Pot or slow cooker?
I donโt with this recipe, sorry! But, you could see what others have tried by searching the comments.
Delicious! I used zucchini and a red pepper for my seasonal vegetables.
Thank you for your review, Ang!
Your recipe mentions freshly grated parmeson cheese as an optional topper, however the picture appreas to show shedded parmesan. Do you think one works better?
I think whatever you like. Thanks for your review!
Very tasty! Thank you for the great recipe.
Youโre welcome, Lindsey!
Hi! This receipe looks great. Do you think I could substitute wild rice for the quinoa?
Sure! It will likely take longer to cook and may need a little more liquid. Let me know how it goes!
Could you please add a note that parmesan isnโt vegetarian? Thanks, love your recipes!
Hi Eleanor, there are actually several vegetarian options at the grocery store. :)
Hi Kate and Cookie! Whenever I put in ingredients I have on hand or want to use, include โeasyโ or โquickโ and โveganโ in the web search. when I need a new dinner, desert, or salad idea and your recipes come up frequently. Always delish. Farmers market today, Going to make this tonight! Thankyou for sharing. KW
I love hearing that! Thank you for sharing, K.
The flavor is fantastic! I figured I would freeze or toss the leftovers since I can only eat the same thing a couple days in a row. I finished the whole pot! I used a protein broth without realizing it had soy in it, therefore I couldnโt boil it. Still turned out great and will probably continue to make it that way, just have to make sure the veggies are mostly cooked before adding the broth.
Will this also be nice without the tomatoes, just as a clear soup?