Quinoa & Vegetable Soup Recipe (THM:E)

Bring freshness and light to your dinner table with this easy quinoa and vegetable soup recipe! It’s packed with veggies like kale, asparagus, and carrots, which you can mix and match depending on the season and your preference.

Spring brings lightness, freshness, and vibrant green plants back to our world.

After the long, cold doldrums of winter, it’s such a welcome sight!

Bring that same feeling to your dinner table with this healthy, light quinoa vegetable soup. It’s packed with spring veggies!

Soup is such a wonderful, versatile dish. There are endless ways to make it! You can even use this as a whole food soup for the holiday season.

With so many abundant, healthy spring vegetables available you could easily make this soup differently every time. Keep variety in your menu!

This easy quinoa vegetable soup starts with soaked quinoa, so if you don’t have any already prepared, stop right now and get some soaking.

Not sure how (or why) to soak quinoa? Read how in this post.

Why Quinoa Is Great To Use In Soup

Why is quinoa healthy and great for soups? Quinoa is a tiny little pseudograin that’s packed with nutrition.

You may be wondering, does quinoa have protein? Yes, it does!

It’s actually a complete protein. This means quinoa contains an adequate proportion of the 9 essential amino acids necessary for the human diet.

In general, animal-sourced foods are complete proteins. With plant sources, the options are limited.

Buckwheat, hemp seeds, and farrow are healthy complete proteins on their own.

Mixing certain foods together results in a complete protein source. Rice and beans together, for example, make a complete protein.

But with quinoa, all you need is the quinoa!

Those tiny little seeds are also rich in magnesium and phosphorus, as well as good amount of copper, iron, potassium, and zinc.

Quinoa is also great in soup because it has a mild flavor that pairs well with any seasonings. In addition, it comes in a variety of colors which makes your soup look beautiful.

It’s also gluten-free!

The Best Broth To Use For This Quinoa & Vegetable Soup Recipe

If you’re familiar with Traditional Cooking School, then you know the answer to that question: bone broth! It’s #1 out of the Top 5 Nutrient-Dense Foods For Your Family.

Rich, flavorful bone broth not only makes your soup taste amazing, but it also nourishes your body. That’s because the minerals in the broth are more easily assimilated by your body.

It’s also wonderfully healing to the gut, thanks to its high gelatin content.

Have you ever wondered, “How do I make a good broth for soups?” Look no further!

Here’s everything you need to know about making healing, nourishing bone broth (plus why you should!) for the best soups ever. Also check out how to make your own beef broth!

For variety, a healthy homemade vegetable broth also makes delicious soups.

Vegetable broth is a super frugal choice and is easily made with scraps of vegetables. It’s a great way to reduce waste and make your grocery budget stretch farther.

Also, although we at TCS recommend a diet with plenty of high-quality animal protein for the best nutrition, we do understand the need for frugal meatless meals! In that case, a veggie-packed quinoa vegetable soup with veggie broth fits the bill.

What Are The Best Veggies To Use In Soup?

The answer to this question – all the veggies (just choose your favorites)!

Keep in mind that firmer vegetables, such as root veggies like carrots, turnips, or potatoes, take longer to cook. Greens such as spinach, kale, or chard don’t take long at all.

So, timing is important! Add your tender, delicate veggies and greens in the last minutes of cooking or right before serving.

For this quinoa vegetable soup recipe, I’ve chosen mostly spring vegetables.

Fennel is a winter veggie but its delicate anise flavor gives almost a floral note that makes me think of spring. It’s a lovely layer of flavor in this savory soup.

Of course, if you don’t care for fennel, feel free to leave it out. Celery is a great substitute for fennel as far as texture goes.

Feel free to mix and match any of the following, or simply follow my recipe as written. If you’re a Trim Healthy Mama plan follower, be sure to read the THM information below.

• Carrots
• Peas
• Onions (sweet, red, green)
• Shallots
• Celery
• Fennel
• Green beans
• Diced tomatoes
• Cauliflower (try it riced)
• Turnips
• Potatoes
• Sweet potato
• Cabbage
• Greens such as spinach, kale, Swiss chard, turnip, or mustard
• Mushrooms (morels are wonderful if you can find them)
• Foraged herbs such as stinging nettle, sorrel, and lovage (check out this Lemon Chicken Soup with Spring Veggies and Foraged Herbs)

Although not vegetables, dry beans and legumes like lentils, navy beans, or black beans make a wonderful addition to soups, too! Be sure to soak and cook them first.

Is This Quinoa Vegetable Soup Recipe THM-friendly?

Yes! As written, it’s a healthy THM:E option — as long as you use bone broth with the fat skimmed off the top.

The easiest way to do this is refrigerate your broth overnight. Then, simply scrape off the hardened fat that’s risen to the top.

The reason for this is because with E meals, carbs are our main fuel source so we keep the added fat very low.

Skip the white potatoes, or if you must, have just a few. Sweet potatoes are a better choice if you like those.

Turnips are amazingly similar to potatoes, especially when cooked until very soft. But, a little bit of white potato in a soup now and then should be fine for most people.

If you need more protein with your E meals, add some collagen or gelatin to your serving or in a beverage with your meal. Also, adding a bit of lean meat such as chicken or turkey breast helps boost the protein content while still keeping this meal on the lighter side.

Also, as written, this soup is a lighter E. That means you can enjoy a piece of on-plan sourdough bread with your soup if you like.

Just remember — we keep the added fat low, so use very little butter.

There’s truly nothing quite like a soothing, nourishing soup and piece of homemade bread, is there?

 

How To Make A Great Soup

It’s so easy to make this quinoa vegetable soup! It just takes a few simple steps.

Prep your veggies, making sure to separate firmer veggies from more delicate ones such as greens.

In a large pot, heat a healthy cooking fat then add your firm veggies. Sauté for several minutes, until the veggies start to soften.

Add fresh garlic and sauté for 1 minute or so, being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Next add broth and dried or fresh herbs. Season with black pepper and salt, to taste.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until the veggies are tender to your liking.

Add quinoa and delicate veggies, and cook 5 minutes or so.

Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.

What Other Healthy Soups Can I Make?

We’ve got plenty of healthy soup recipes for you to try! Here are just a few:

• 2-Minute Instant Pot Italian Cabbage & Tomato Soup
• Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup
• Chicken And Spring Vegetable Soup
• Asparagus Leek Bisque
• THM Blended Red Lentil Soup
• Homemade Cream Of Vegetable Soup (Without The Can)
• Gentle, Nourishing Detoxifying Soup

Will you try this quinoa vegetable soup recipe with the veggies I mention in the recipe above? Or, make it your own and use different veggies? What spring vegetables do you look forward to?