Warm Quinoa Soup (Printable Version)

A comforting bowl featuring quinoa, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs for a wholesome meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
07 - 1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Herbs & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
02 - Add diced carrots and celery, sauté for 4 minutes until slightly softened.
03 - Incorporate diced zucchini and rinsed quinoa, stirring to combine evenly.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth, add dried thyme, salt, and ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and vegetables are fully cooked.
06 - Stir in baby spinach and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
07 - Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into serving bowls, garnish with additional parsley if desired, and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent all day on it.
  • Quinoa gives you real staying power, so you're not hungry again in twenty minutes.
  • Every vegetable adds something different—texture, sweetness, earthiness—without demanding special attention.
02 -
  • Always rinse your quinoa under cool water before cooking—it makes a real difference in texture and removes a faint bitterness you might not consciously register but will definitely taste.
  • Don't add the spinach until the very end; cooking it longer than 2 minutes turns it dull and stringy instead of silky and tender.
  • Taste as you go near the end—broth strengths vary wildly between brands, and you might need more or less salt than the recipe suggests.
03 -
  • Save your vegetable scraps in the freezer and make your own broth—it's free liquid gold and makes this soup taste even more like you put love into it.
  • A pinch of red pepper flakes at the end adds a subtle heat that makes people sit up and pay attention without knowing why.

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