Recipe: Vegetable Quinoa Soup

A friend recently posted a veggie quinoa soup, and I immediately messaged her: okayyy, I need this recipe. She sent me this recipe from Cookie and Kate, and this recipe below is my own rendition of the masterpiece.

If you can’t tell by now, soups are my absolute favorite thing to make, especially during this cold season (you guys, it’s five degrees outside today). I’m looking for something warming, nourishing, and also nutritional — and this soup does it all!

Hope you enjoy this one as much as I do! xoxo

INGREDIENTS

• 3 TB olive oil

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 3 large carrots, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 small zucchinis (I like one yellow, one green)

• 1 cup of butternut squash, chopped

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1 large can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes

• 3/4 cup of quinoa, rinsed well

• 4 cups (32 oz.) vegetable broth

• 2 cups water

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 bay leaves

• Pinch of red pepper flakes

• Ground pepper

• 1 can (15 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup fresh kale, chopped

• 1 lemon, juiced

DIRECTIONS

• Heat olive oil to a large pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, butternut squash, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is translucent (6ish minutes).

• Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. 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 tsp 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.

• Enjoy!