Easy to Adapt Vegetable Soup with Quinoa

One of the best meals during wintertime is a good hearty soup. Packed with lots of vegetables and protein, this vegetarian version is a great one for your repertoire. The basic pantry veggies and products plus what you have on hand in the refrigerator or freezer make this recipe very easy to make and to adapt. It is also an example of a nutrient dense, low calorie meal. It is full of eye-health vitamins and fiber and with the addition of beans and quinoa, a protein-packed seed, it is a one-pot nutritional wonder.

What you’ll need to serve 6-8:

2 tablespoons olive or grape seed oil

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium to large onion, chopped

3 medium-size celery stalks, diced

2 medium-size carrots, diced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1-2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium diced tomatoes (see alternatives in “thoughts & variations”)

4 -6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or mixture of broth and water*

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained (see alternatives in “thoughts & variations”)

1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium beans, drained and rinsed (kidney, navy, black, cannellini, garbanzo, your choice)

2-6 cups mixed chopped vegetables such as green beans, summer squash, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, spinach

Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

*Note: This tends to be a thick soup. Depending on your preferences of consistency and the types and amounts of vegetables you add to this soup, adjust the amount of liquid to meet your preference. Additional seasoning may be needed with the additional liquid.

What you’ll do:

Heat up a large stockpot. Add the oil, garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Stir to mix and allow the vegetables to cook for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Add all the seasonings, stir to mix, and continue to saute for a minute or two. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Allow the liquid to come to a boil. Add the rinsed/drained quinoa, lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Skim any foam from the top of the soup (optional). Add the drained beans and chopped vegetables. Check your soup liquid and add more broth/water to just cover them, if necessary. Cover the soup and bring back to a simmer. Continue simmering the soup until you are happy with the doneness of the added vegetables, probably another 10 minutes or so.

Ladle into bowls to serve. As an option, serve with parmesan cheese.

Thoughts and variations:

Again, this is one of those recipes that are easily adaptable to what is in your pantry and refrigerator. The diced tomatoes can be substituted with crushed tomatoes, a mix of diced and tomato sauce or a jar of tomato-based salsa, which gives it a nice kick. The broth doesn’t have to be vegetable, it could be chicken or beef flavored. The vegetables can be fresh, leftover, or frozen. Definitely include some sort of shredded dark greens, it adds nice color and good fiber. Exchange the quinoa with a different grain, rice, farro, barley as examples or add some pasta or diced potato. Change the seasonings, for example, a Mexican-style soup could have some oregano, chili powder and cumin, might include some corn, zucchini, and bell pepper, pinto or black beans, and rice. And it would be served with fresh chunks of avocado and chopped cilantro. And lastly, you could add some meat, whether it be small frozen meatballs (added early enough to cook) cooked/leftover poultry or beef, or chunks of fish or shrimp (added toward the end to heat up or just cook.)