Quinoa Vegetable Soup

This vegan quinoa vegetable soup recipe is full of vegetables, quinoa, beans, and greens! Get all your nutrients in one delicious quinoa vegetable soup in less than 20 minutes in one pot!

With winter in full swing, the chilly evenings scream for healthy soups. No matter what time of year it is, I love soup! Today's creation is a quinoa vegetable soup full of vegetables and vibrant red quinoa. This vegan quinoa vegetable soup recipe is so easy to make that you will add it to your weekly rotation.

Jump to:

• Quinoa Vegetable Soup Ingredients
• Soup Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Soup in Under 20 Minutes
• Cooking Options
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• Great Vegan Soup Recipes to Try
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

When I went to the store this week, I found beautiful baby red potatoes, zucchini, organic kale, red bell peppers, and celery. And to make life easier, I found a frozen bag of corn, carrots, and peas.

Although any quinoa works well, I love red quinoa's beautiful color and texture. Instead of making a noodle or rice soup, I decided to give quinoa a try.

Initially, I was worried quinoa might get mushy when added to soup, but I was pleasantly surprised that quinoa is GREAT to add to soup, and it heats up like a champ. 

So, let's make quinoa vegetable soup in 30 minutes or less, which is another secret bonus to this soup!

Quinoa Vegetable Soup Ingredients

Even though I chose vegetables readily available, pick and chose your favorite vegetables to add to your quinoa vegetable soup recipe. 

• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic when available. It has a deeper flavor than jarred minced garlic.
• White Onion: White onions have a strong, sharp, and not very sweet flavor. When cooked with fresh garlic, the flavor is amazing.  
• Celery: Celery leaves bring a distinctive flavor to the soup. You can also use the leaves in soups that call for parsley as an aromatic
• Baby Red Potatoes: The thin red potato skins will cook nicely in the soup. Leaving the skin on also provides a structure for the potatoes and additional nutritional benefits.
• Zucchini: Zucchini is incredibly versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked. Here are some ways to incorporate it into your meals
• Red Bell Pepper: Cooking red bell peppers enhances the peppers' natural sweetness.
• Kale: I love adding chopped kale to salads because it stays firmer than others, but it is also easy to digest once added to the quinoa vegetable soup.
• Pinto Beans: I like pinto beans in soup because they maintain their firmness even when heated.
• Frozen Organic Corn, Peas, and Carrot Blend: I used the Cascadia Farms vegetable blend which is one of my favorites.
• Red quinoa (uncooked): Red quinoa has a more substantial, nuttier flavor than the more common white variety. It can also take a few minutes longer to cook and results in a heartier, chewier texture. It's a good choice for soup because it holds its texture slightly better than white quinoa.
• Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth from Costco in bulk; it's very inexpensive.
• Water: The after adds more fluid without the cost of opening another container of vegetable broth.
• Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a smokey, savory taste to the soup.
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional): Although I don't consider red pepper flakes spicy in the amount used in the soup, I caution you to add a small amount if you are sensitive to spicy foods.

Soup Ingredient Substitutions

• Use jarred minced garlic in place of fresh cloves of garlic when necessary.
• Yellow onions are a natural substitute for white onions in recipes.
• Choose any type of potato; the key is to cut them the same size to promote even cooking.
• Try yellow squash if zucchini isn't available.
• Green peppers taste wonderful with these flavors if you don't have red bell peppers. Or try chopped jarred roasted red peppers in water or brine.
• Select any green instead of kale. I suggest spinach if you don't have kale. Collard greens are another great option.
• Try white beans or black beans if pinto beans aren't your favorite.
• Canned vegetables work in place of the frozen combination, as well as fresh when available.
• If using white quinoa, the soup may cook more quickly (reduce time by 3-5 minutes).
• Choose sweet paprika for a different taste profile.
• Skip the red pepper flakes if you are sensitive to spicy foods.

Regardless of the vegetables, greens, and beans you choose, making quinoa vegetable soup is quick and easy. 

How to Make Soup in Under 20 Minutes

Since everyone is busy with work and life, I enjoy recipes that require minimal time as well as quick and easy clean-up.

1. Saute the garlic, onions, and celery until onions are translucent.
2. Add potatoes; stir
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the kale and quinoa
4. Bring to a boil and cover for 5 minutes
5. Add 1 cup of dry, uncooked red quinoa (or quinoa of choice); return to a boil and cover again
6. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for a 15 minutes
7. Remove cover and add kale; stir until greens are wilted.

I call this process cooking in layers or stages. As a result, every ingredient cooks perfectly without worrying about over or under-cooking anything.

Cooking Options

Despite my love for my crockpot, I made quinoa vegetable soup on the stove today. But, if you want to make this soup in your crockpot, you can throw it all in the crockpot and walk away. 

Crockpot Directions

• Add all the ingredients except for the quinoa and kale.
• Cook on low for 8 hours
• 6 hours into the cooking process, add the quinoa.
• 10 minutes before servings, add the kale and stir to combine.
• Simple, painless, and really easy! 

Stovetop Directions

• Saute the garlic, onions, and celery until the onions are translucent.
• Add potatoes; stir
• Add the rest of the ingredients except for the kale and quinoa
• Bring to a boil and cover for 5 minutes
• Add 1 cup of dry, uncooked red quinoa (or quinoa of choice); return to a boil and cover again.
• Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for a 15 minutes
• Remove cover and add kale; stir until greens are wilted
• Serve

Instant Pot Directions

• Set your Instant Pot to sauté.
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of water, onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes, adding more water if needed to prevent sticking.
• Add all remaining ingredients, except the kale, and stir.
• Lock your lid in place, ensuring the valve is set to the sealing position.
• Then set your Instant Pot to high pressure on high for 4 minutes. (It will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure.)
• Once complete, allow to quick release and stir in the kale.
• Stir the soup and season with salt and pepper to serve.

For those who like to cook in advance and meal prep, quinoa vegetable soup is great for lunch all week long. 

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• If using white quinoa, the soup may take less time to cook (3-5 minutes).
• Freezing quinoa vegetable soup is easy. However, I suggest leaving 1-inch from the top of any freezer-safe container.
• Furthermore, when planning to reheat the soup, make sure to thaw it completely before reheating, so the vegetables and quinoa don't overcook. 
• Add other vegetables you like in place of the ones in the recipe.
• I like using freezer cubes to freeze leftover soup. Or, I double the batch to purposely freeze my favorite soups to eat at a later time.

Try this vegetable quinoa soup for a quick and easy weeknight meal in under 20 minutes! One-pot meals are so easy to prepare and clean up.

Great Vegan Soup Recipes to Try

If you love this vegan quinoa vegetable soup recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

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