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Quick quinoa minestrone, ready in under 30 minutes! It is is oil-free, high fiber, vegan, gluten-free, has 7 grams protein per serving, and simply delicious.
Minestrone is one of the best soups, ever. Hearty, healthy and packed with vegetables, it is the taste of cozy comfort. I crave it all year, even when the weather is scorching (the air conditioning make every hot day a potential soup day).
A minestrone bonus: it is perfect for using up an odds and ends assortment of vegetables in the refrigerator. Limp celery, shaggy carrots, and lackluster kale? They are the makings for some most excellent minestrone. Because there are few hard and fast rules, minestrone can be what you make of it, with what you use to make it.
That ingredients freedom is also what led me to swap out the more typical pasta for quinoa in this quick and easy rendition of minestrone.
Quinoa is a superfood grain of the Incas. It has an earthy, nutty flavor, and cooks in less than 20 minutes. Best yet, it is one of the few plant-based sources of protein that is complete, meaning that it contains all of the essential amino acids. Pretty amazing! And it is so delicious in this soup.
Recipe Benefits
- Quick and easy to prepare
- 7 grams protein per serving
- High fiber (6 grams per serving)
- Oil-free ( No olive oil or any other kind of oil)
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Frugal
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- Onions
- Carrots
- Celery
- Kale
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Quinoa
- Canned white beans (e.g., Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, navy beans)
- Italian herb seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Salt & black pepper
- Water
Directions for Making Quinoa Minestrone
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Heat 1/3 cup water in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook and stir 7 to 8 minutes until softened (add more water to pot, as needed).
- Add dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.
- Add the drained tomatoes, quinoa, and 8 cups water to the pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.
- Place half of beans in a small bowl and coarsely mash with a fork.
- Add the kale, mashed beans and remaining whole beans into soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Some pumpkin biscuits, baked the day before, were waiting for a dunk in some soup. It didn’t have much of a wait; the soup was ready for ladling into bowls in under 30 minutes. Enjoy!
FAQ
- How should I store the quinoa minestrone? Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to six months.
- Can I use other varieties of beans in place of the white beans? Yes. You can swap red kidney beans, pinto beans, or small red beans for the white beans.
- What can I use in place of the kale? An equal amount of chopped chard leaves, or 4 cups of tender spinach leaves, can be used in place of the kale.
Related Recipes
Quinoa Minestrone (Oil-free, V, GF)
Ingredients
- 1 medium-large onion, (chopped, about 1.5 cups)
- 2 medium-large carrots, (peeled and chopped, about 1.5 cups)
- 2 stalks celery, (chopped, about 1.5 cups)
- 1.5 tablespoons Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- salt & black pepper
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, (drained)
- 2/3 cup quinoa, (uncooked)
- 8 cups water
- 1 15 ounce can white beans, (rinsed and drained)
- 3 cups chopped kale
Instructions
- Heat 1/3 cup water in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook and stir 7 to 8 minutes until softened (add more water to pot, as needed).
- Add dried Italian herbs, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Cook and stir 1 minute.
- Place half of beans in a small bowl and coarsely mash with a fork.
- Add the kale, mashed beans and remaining whole beans into soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
- Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I made this soup tonight and it was amazing! I haven’t really used Kale too much except to juice and haven’t really liked it that much. However, in this soup, it blends with the tomatoes and tastes almost like basil!
I used organic chicken broth for the base, and doubled the size can of tomatoes. Other than that, I followed the recipe and it was simple and straightforward. Sending this to many friends to add to their collection!!
Thanks so much for your recipe! It was very tasty!
Quinoa in minestrone is something new to me but I believe you can’t go wrong with quinoa! What a hearty, tasty looking recipe- thanks for sharing!
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fantastic looking soup.
Thank you so much! I’ve been on a hunt for soup that is vegetarian lately, something simple to make as I am never quite sure where any day is going to take me. I stumbled across your site looking to see if I could use butter instead of shortening(the cookie post), and decided to read the rest of the blog.
I am so insanely happy to have found someone with a love for a lot of the same foods I do AND recipes use them for… Going to go stock up on some things now…
Camilla, it’s actually warm here in NM, but I made the soup anyway. 🙂
This is so delicious. It’s simmering right now, but I took a taste and can’t wait to eat it tonight. I didn’t have cannellini beans so I used navy beans instead. I think that’s the only substitution I made. Those Italian spices are floating.
Thankss for all your recipes and your dedication to healthier recipes. I just recently bought your soup cookbook (should have ordered it during winter) 🙂 and have enjoyed everything I’ve tried so far.
Camilla, can you recommend a catalog or online venue to buy U.S.-grown quinoa? Your soup is making my mouth water, but the recent news about the U.S. craze for quinoa wreaking havoc with the diet of poor Bolivians makes me want to try to find a domestic choice. I haven’t been able to find one (except at $11.50/pound including shipping) so far. Thanks!
What a delicious looking soup. With our cool weather returning here in Colorado this weekend this would be a great thing to have bubbling on the stove.
I can’t believe that I wasn’t a follower of yours Camilla! So sorry, that has been rectified.
I am very envious of your weather – but this soup looks perfect for what we have here right now. It’s the type of thing I often make for lunch on Saturdays.
Camilla, this Kale and Quinoa Soup speaks to me of hearty homecooking. Can’t wait to prepare this healthy soup for myself.
The Souper
Hi Kelly,
I here you re: the 50 degrees–that would have been a March thrill back when I lived in Indiana! Stay warm 🙂
Paired with bread this does sound like the perfect lunch. I’m so jealous of your weather though. 50 degrees here would be warm!