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
We’ve been living in a winter wonderland lately. We’ve gotten so much snow that my dog, Cookie, can barely keep her head above it when we go outside (she’s smaller than you think). I’m thankful to have electricity and gearing up for more winter weather this weekend.
This hearty soup is exactly what I need. It’s 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 isn’t 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 Joe’s. (You know what they say about grocery shopping while hungry.) A few years ago, their “vegetable soup with quinoa and kale” 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 I’m 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 it’s 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, it’s 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, Megan’s 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. It’s easy to make and good for you, too! This soup makes great leftovers. It’s gluten free and vegan, as long as you don’t 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
- ½ 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 ½ teaspoon more salt, depending on your vegetable broth and your personal preferences.) Divide into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if you’d like.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Trader Joe’s organic vegetable soup with quinoa and kale. Recipe adapted from my lentil soup recipe.
Seasonal vegetable preparation tips: If you’re using dense vegetables like butternut or sweet potato for your seasonal vegetables, be sure to chop them as small as you’re chopping your carrots so they cook in the same amount of time.
Slow cooker option: I haven’t 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: Don’t 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 nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made this recipe and it turned out so wonderful. I added field roast sausages and it still came out great. I am going to come back to this recipe, many many times. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Brooke!
Hi Kate! I made a giant Greek Quinoa and Kale Salad (with bottled Greek salad dressing and Feta Cheese) for our Christmas dinner potluck yesterday as I’m trying to avoid meat. It was a great salad, but less than a best seller as there was a huge quantity of traditional food as well. So I brought home quite a bit. I google searched Quinoa Soup, and found your recipe. So I’m following your recipe, with the addition of two cups Greek Quinoa and Kale Salad which also has red and green pepper, red onion, cucumber and cherry tomatoes. Other than what was in my salad, and the onion, carrot and celery, I didn’t add any seasonal vegetables. I hate to waste food, and the salad as is was getting a wee bit gummy, so this was the perfect way to salvage it, and make a great pot of soup at the same time. I love to freeze soup in individual portions for lunches for work (or home). I don’t love eating the same thing day after day, so this absolutely works. I’m printing your recipe, so I can make it again, following your method to the letter next time. Thank you, and have a blessed and prosperous 2020!
Thank you for sharing, Ruth!
Made this tonight for the family and even my 11 year old ate it We didn’t have any seasonal veggies so just added extra carrot, celery and tomatoes. Only had fresh parsley so used this as replacement for the thyme and added the chickpeas. Delicious! Was perfect for the cold weather. Thank you!
Making this tonight! Looks delicious and comforting.
I just found your recipe site and I made this soup today. I followed your recipe exactly and this is just delicious! Definitely will be adding this soup to my weekly meal rotation! Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you enjoyed it, Julia.
I loved this soup! I used 6 cups veggie broth and 1 cup water. I also used White Beans because they’re a smaller less grainy kidney bean than some others. I have a pic but don’t see how to post it.
So yummy! Topped with vegan parm and served with crusty bread. Thanks for sharing.
Sounds perfect, Kristi! Thanks for sharing.
I made this soup last night. It has so much flavor and is delicious! For the seasonal vegetables, I used a small green and small yellow zucchini, and 1 small sweet potato. I followed the recipe as it, putting in a little less than 1 cup of quinoa because it was all I had on hand. I think it was plenty. I noticed this morning that the quinoa has soaked up a lot of the broth. I’ll add more broth and might consider cooking the quinoa separately next time, adding it to each serving bowl. I would do this because we tend to eat soups over a few days. Another great recipe, Kate!
Thank you for sharing how you made this soup, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Question: what do you think is the caLorie count per serving? I assume it can’t be much since it’s mostly vegetables, including the broth. I made this soup and love it so much, I’m not only having a bowl of it for lunch, I’m having it as a snack.
Hi Dee! The nutritional information is below the recipe notes section. You need to click to expand and ensure you allow cookies in your browser.
Hands down my favourite vegetable soup recipe!! You can add whatever veggies you feel like and even add
Hands down my favourite vegetable soup recipe!! Thanks Kate :)
Great to hear, Maeve!
My favorite soup recipe! Filling and healthy. I use different vegetables every time and love it just the same. Perfect for winter!
I agree! Thank you for your review, Erin.
My family loves this soup so much!! It’s a regular in my house and even my small children eat it up!!
I’m happy this one is a regular, Jess! I appreciate your review.
I just finished making this. It was delicious.
I’m glad you loved it, Mary!
i made this and used turnip and potato, turned out delish! Thanks
Since our household turned Vegan I have struggled to find good dinner options. This was a hit and will now be a staple! Thank you!
Any suggestions on how I can add more plant-based protein to this yummy recipe?
Hi Emily! Chickpeas are always a great option.
I made this on the stove top and it was delicious. And then I made it in the crockpot & it was blah. I’m sticking to making it on the stove top. I also used the TJs mirapox mix to speed up things.
Hi! I love your recipies! Can I use brown rice instead of quinoa? Thanks!
Hi Sharon, sure. You might want to adjust cooking time and liquid.
This was amazing! I was able to use up some produce that would have otherwise spoiled (spinach, potato, extra carrots) and now have healthy, filling lunches for the week. I used ~1 tsp red pepper flakes and used fire roasted tomato for extra spice. Will definitely make again!
I love that, Rachel! Thank you for sharing.
Favourite soup recipe by far! Hearty, filling, and vegan!! Thankyou for sharing
This is my favorite stew to make! I’ve made is about five times, and I finally decided to give y’all some well-deserved credit. Thank you!
I prepared this last night using summer squash for the vegetable (not exactly seasonal, but it was on hand!), and leaving out the can of beans. I also used chopped spinach in addition to the kale. My whole family (small kids included) enjoyed the soup very much. I will definitely be making it again!
I made this using farro instead of quinoa and it was delicious. I’ll make it again soon.
I prepared this soup for a grieving family because the mom told me she was vegan. All was eaten the same day it was delivered. I did omit the black pepper and pepper flakes because so many individuals have sensitive stomachs.
Thank you for this wonderful recepie!
You’re welcome, Mary!
Love this recipe and want to try in my Instapot and I don’t see that anyone has tried it in the comments. So you have any suggestion for that? I could just do on the stove if you don’t but thanks.
Hi Pam! I don’t have instant pot instructions sorry. That would require a different recipe & steps. I love this one as is and it makes great leftovers!
I made this soup, and it was just so hearty and wonderfully delicious. I did benefit beforehand from reading among the lovely fans’ comments below that the quinoa should be made separately to allow for more broth. This is a helpful tip. Another hit I look forward to making again and again, thank you, Kate (and Cookie!)
This recipe is a winner that I will be printing out to keep! For the added seasonal vegetables I used up some less than firm zucchini, yellow squash and turnip that I needed to use up. Added chickpeas at the same time as the quinoa since they hold their shape. Accidentally added a T instead of a t of lemon juice. Added the greens to individual bowls to wilt as the soup cooled enough to eat instead of cooking it in. Came out great! Can’t wait to try it again with different veggies.
Dumb question but I have to check.. is the nutrition info per serving or for the whole 6 servings?
Hi Alisha! It’s per serving. :)
What is the serving size? 1cup or 12.5oz?
Hi Megan! Roughly 1.5-2 cups is a serving.
This soup/ stew is absolutely delicious. I made a big pot of this soup and had a hefty amount left over and froze it. I recently de-thawed it after almost 2months and when I say it tasted even better than the first time. Definitely will be making it again and again, thank you for sharing this recipe.
I have made this soup a lot and add a couple of big handfuls of kale to it.
Made this for 32 people (4x the amounts above was just right)
everyone loved it!
This one is a keeper!
I was trying to find a vegan recipe that was straightforward and well reviewed. This was it! There was quite a bit of chopping (carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli stems, kale, onion, garlic), but the cooking time was a lot faster without the quinoa. I already had cooked brown rice. After adding the broth, the vegetables cooked within 10 minutes. I added 1 teaspoon of thyme instead of half, and I added more chili flakes for more punch (probably about two teaspoons). I used two 14.5oz cans of chopped tomato, two 15.5oz cans of white beans (including the liquid). The lemon was a nice touch as I squeezed it from 1.5 lemons. I also added about 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to add a nutty cheesy taste.
Thank you for sharing, Bobby!
I’m digging your recipes. Going to try best lentil soup recipe tonight! Hope I’m not the only guy appreciating your recipes.
Hi Kate! I’m making this soup tonight for maybe the hundredth time! It’s a family favorite, comfort food but still healthy. My meat eating husband often requests this soup. Thank you so much for the recipe! XO
Wonderful, Eryn! I’m so glad this is a favorite for you guys.
I loved this recipe! I couldn’t find quinoa in the store so I used barley instead and it was great. I wish I had known to rinse the barley first – it turned out very starchy, but now I know for next time!
Thank you for sharing your experience, Nelia.
Wow!! This soup was delicious exactly as written! I got rave reviews for it last night and requests for your recipe. The seasonings are just perfect!
Fantastic, Karyn! Thank you for your comment and review.
Do you know about how many cups per serving? I’m asking so I can store it altogether in a large bowl. Making this recipe tomorrow!
Hi Ashley! I would suggest roughly 1.5-2 cups per serving.
This looks like a great healthy veggie soup! Thanks for all the care you put into sharing this…can’t wait to try it!
If I soak the Great Northern beans overnight, what dry amount would you recommend starting with? (I always seem to make way too much.) Thanks — looking forward to making this!
Hi John! Here is a resource you can use! https://www.seriouseats.com/2014/04/is-there-a-ratio-for-converting-between-dried.html
sounds delicious definitely going to try this for dinner!
side note though parmesan isn’t vegetarian friendly either
This was a nice hearty winter soup, perfect for a drizzly day!
Love this soup! The only changes I made were I used a smaller can of tomatoes, a lot more carrots and kale and a full teaspoon of dried thyme. Used chick peas instead of great northern beans as I think they hold up better. And a healthy dose of lemon juice at the end. I think this adds so much to homemade soups. Topped it with fresh aged parmesan. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
I make this soup a lot-it’s so delicious! And I love how I can make it different each time based on what vegetables I happen to have in my fridge. Next time, I will use less quinoa though, b/c the quinoa ended up sucking up all the moisture, so it wasn’t much of a soup anymore.
Thank you!
This is a weekly go-to for me! So versatile, healthy, and delicious! Thank you, Kate!
Do you think lentils would be a good addition to this recipe? So excited to try this!
Hey Madi! Sure, I think 1/2 cup lentils (any variety but red) would be nice here! Just keep in mind that they’ll absorb some of the liquid—you might want to balance it out by adding an extra cup or so of water. If you love lentils, though, you have to try my favorite lentil soup. :)
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I tried this last weekend and the soup is amazing! I will definitely cook it on a regular basis.
Greetings from Slovakia :)
Though it took a long time to prepare all of the ingredients, this soup is absolutely delicious. I will definitely make it again!
I want to learn how to prepare this
We’ve made a version of this with substitutes due to dietary requirements.
Onion and garlic oil instead of garlic and onion, no beans, add spinach instead of kale.
Now made in 3 weeks in a row in the slow cooker (do everything in the wok first then transfer when boiling) rakes about 2 hours.
4 of us fighting for it (including a 7 year old), double batch lasts about 3 days.
Thanks you – delicious.
I’ve subbed any vegetable I have on hand and it always tastes delicious! Thank you for nourishing my family :)
Thank you for sharing, Monica!
I’m not one who follows recipes very well but I do with many of yours because they work so well and this one is an absolute winner! I skipped the quinoa (wasn’t sure I would like the texture in soup – told you I wasn’t good at following recipes) and it was so delicious the family (including the carnivores) demanded that I make it again before the week was out. Definitely one for the family cookbook, thank you.
Made this tonight for the family and even my 11 year old ate it We didn’t have any seasonal veggies so just added extra carrot, celery and tomatoes. Only had fresh parsley so used this as replacement for the thyme and added the chickpeas. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe, perfect for the cold weather and a vegan family.
It’s a keeper!
I didn’t have celery so I made without.
Made with butternut squash.
3/4 quinoa n less squash for more soup-like.
Still would like more soup/liquid. Will cut back squash and try 1/2 quinoa.
Also make look into doubling liquid.
Family really liked this.