Hearty, warm, filling, and comforting, this quinoa soup with cannellini beans and kale will keep you full for hours. Vegan, gluten-free, and simple, our soup is a one-pot meal worth sharing at your family table and packing for lunch the next day!
One of my favorite things about soup is that it always tastes better the next day, and the good thing about quinoa is that is a great addition to soups since it doesn't get mushy like noodles or rice. It has fiber and protein, so a bowl of this quinoa soup is a filling meal in its own right.
What is Quinoa?
Quinoa pronounced as KEEN-wah, is a delicious pseudo-cereal known for its grain-like characteristics, but it's not technically a grain. Quinoa has earned the tittle of a superfood due to its exceptional nutritional content. Related to amaranth and spinach quinoa is native to South America where has been a dietary staple for centuries and has now gained widespread popularity across the globe. This gluten-free seed is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making it a nutritious choice. Additionally, quinoa boasts antioxidants and maintains a low glycemic index, contributing to its well-deserved reputation as a wholesome and versatile food option.
Ingredients for Quinoa Soup
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I love the flavor EVOO adds here, but any neutral oil will also work.
- Garlic Freshly minced garlic is the best!
- Kale.
- Organic Vegetable Broth. Or no chicken broth (we use this one).
- Water.
- Organic Cannellini Beans. Great northern beans, white beans, or cranberry beans will also work.
- Salt.
- Chili Powder.
- Black Pepper.
- Allspice.
- Cayenne. This is optional for heat, and you could use red pepper flakes instead.
- Raw Quinoa. The quinoa will cook in the soup so there is no need to start with pre-cooked quinoa.
How to Make Quinoa Soup
Making our rich and delicious soup is super easy. Like Meatless sausage and kale soup, you start by preparing the kale and mincing the garlic. Rinse and chop the kale, removing the large stems. If you want a shortcut, buy pre-washed and chopped kale. Then, heat olive oil in a stock pot or Dutch oven and add the kale and garlic. Cook for five minutes and stir occasionally.
After five minutes, add the remaining ingredients except for the quinoa and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, add the quinoa and cook the soup for an additional twenty minutes. Adjust the flavors with salt and pepper.
What to Serve with Quinoa Soup
If you are looking for a light lunch or dinner this soup will do. The beans and quinoa both add protein, and the quinoa is a healthy carb. You can serve it with fresh bakery bread or any of the following recipes:
- Vegan Garlicky Kale Pizza Empanadas
- Vegan Kale Caesar Salad with Mushroom Bacon Bits
- Penne Pasta with Vegan Cauliflower & Walnut Kale Pesto
Frequently Asked Questions
Is quinoa healthy?
Yes. This grain includes many nutrients and protein in addition to being a carb. According to Healthline, it "is a gluten-free grain-like seed is rich in nutrients like protein, fiber, folate, and magnesium. It may also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and help support gut, body weight, and heart health."
Is quinoa low-carb?
You will find 34 grams of net carbs in each cooked cup. This is relatively low-carb, especially considering the protein content of 8 grams per cooked cup.
Does quinoa get soggy in soup?
No. It will be a nice plump grain, similar to rice, but full of protein and fiber.
Tips and Tricks for Our Quinoa Soup Recipe
- Even though kale stems are edible, they're tough and fibrous and take a long time to soften. We prefer to cut and discard the stems below the leaves for recipes other than kale soup. The stem part, where the leaves are attached, is usually thinner and not as tough. You can either keep the kale ribs or discard them by running a knife along with them. That would depend on how thick the stems are and how you prepare the kale.
- We chose to keep this soup recipe simple by adding only garlic, beans, kale, and seasonings. You can choose to add more veggies such as chopped or diced tomatoes, celery, onion, carrots, parsnips, turnips, or butternut squash and make a quinoa vegetable soup.
- A bay leaf simmered in the soup would also add flavor.
- Hot sauce at the table may be a welcome addition to this quinoa soup.
More Ways to Cook with Quinoa
Quinoa is fabulous in soups like this one, but it also works well in salads, casseroles, stir fry, as a base in place of rice, and as a side dish. If you want more detailed information about how to cook quinoa, be sure to check out our guide <--.
- Make cookies. A little sweet and full of protein, these Quinoa Breakfast Cookies are a great way to start your day.
- Make a salad. Try our Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Roasted Vegetables or Israeli Salad Quinoa Bowl for a delicious and nutritious meal in a bowl.
- Use quinoa in place of meat. The texture and resilience of quinoa make it the perfect meat replacement. Sweet Potato Quinoa Vegan Meatballs In Mango Coconut Sauce
- Make Granola. Try this crunchy Passover Cinnamon Raisin Quinoa Granola Recipe.
- Use it as a rice replacement. These Vegan Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats showcase the strengths of quinoa as a rice substitute.
- Add quinoa to some Veggie Sausage and Kale Soup,
- Serve this Braised Curried Kale with Spiced Chickpeas with quinoa instead of rice
Other Healthy Soup Recipes You May Like
- Moroccan Harira Soup
- The Best Vegetable Soup
- Wheat Berry and Chickpea Soup
- Immune Booster Vegan Ramen Bowl
- Coconut Carrot Ginger Soup
- Zucchini Sweet Potato Soup
Did you like this Kale Soup with Cannellini Beans and Quinoa?
If you enjoyed this recipe, it would help us tremendously if you left us a star rating in the comments below or on the recipe card. Do you have any questions about the recipe? Do you need a swap for any of the ingredients? We are here to help, just leave us a question in the comments below.
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Quinoa Soup with Cannellini Beans and Kale
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Hearty, warm, filling, and comforting, this kale soup with cannellini beans and quinoa will keep you full for hours. Vegan, gluten-free, and best of all, you'll only have one pot to clean up!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1- 10 oz bag of chopped kale
- 1- 32 oz container of organic vegetable or no-chicken broth (we use this one)
- 3 cups vegan water or vegetable broth
- 1- 15oz can organic cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt ( to taste)
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp allspice
- Pinch of cayenne (optional)
- ½ cup raw quinoa
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute the garlic and kale over medium heat for about 5 minutes
- Add the vegetable broth, water, beans, salt and spices
- Bring to a boil, add quinoa and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 2.7
- Sodium: 845.7
- Fat: 6.3
- Saturated Fat: .9
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.7
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 6.6
- Protein: 9.7
- Cholesterol: 0
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
Wow yeah...that whole list definitely sounds like NO fun!! However, this soup looks delicious and like it's lots of fun to eat 🙂 It especially looks good on this rainy day we are having here in NY....
Allie | Baking A Moment
I would love a hot bowl of this soup on this dreary day... it looks so comforting! Love how you've added a little quinoa. It must be so satisfying. Good luck with your new job and all the moving stuff. It is a hassle though, isn't it? Hopefully it will all be behind you soon enough 😉
Davida @ The Healthy Maven
This soup sounds amazing! Just starting the apartment hunt now and it is the WORST. Not to mention the lack of sleep grrrr. This soup will have to make up for it!
Kelly
Moving and house hunting is hard and not fun, hopefully you get through it soon 🙂 This soup sounds like a perfect comforting meal to help soothe some troubles away for the moment. I love cooking with kale and will definitely be making this comforting soup soon. Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you Kelly.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
Mmm.. we make kale soup with quinoa and beans all autumn. So good 🙂
Vicky & Ruth
And comforting too!
Jen @ Savory Simple
I love the sound of this!
Pinchecky
I tried this last night and it was so good and so easy to make. Thank you!
I didn't have any cayenne pepper and used chipotle instead. I also added about 1/4 cup of hunts tomato sauce.
Whitney
I've been meaning to comment & tell you, this has become one of our go-to meals! It's absolutely delicious, and sooo easy! We add more garlic, as well as a little salsa verde & sriracha, but otherwise we pretty much follow the recipe as-written & we love it. Thanks a bunch!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much for your feedback. We love to hear how our readers make our recipes their own. Keep warm!
Kat
This is the first recipe I tried from May I Have That Recipe and I must say, I will definitely be trying other recipes. This was so easy to make. And it is so delicious. I am sharing it with all my friends and family. Thank you!
I'm a wanna-be vegetarian so I made some substitutions based on what I had on hand. I used chicken broth, fresh baby kale that I chopped myself, and 2 cans of beans as I wanted to make the soup into a dinner, not just an appetizer. I also didn't have any allspice. I just added 1/2 tsp of onion powder for flavoring.
I don't think you could mess up this recipe no matter you did. The ingredients just really work well together. I haven't added up the protein but it must be packed between the kale, the beans and quinoa.
It is really delicious and I will definitely be making this soup on a regular basis every winter.
Thanks so much!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you very much Kat and thanks for sharing your adaptation to this recipe.
Kelly
Tried this tonight, used fresh kale since I already had it. Absolutely delicious! One of the best soups I've ever tasted.
Phil
Options other than quinoa?
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Phil, you can add couscous, semolina flour, rice or farro.
Dawn
Just made this soup and it's easy, healthy, savory and delicious. I will be making this again and soon!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it. It's one of our favorites!
Ella Garcia
Instead of kale can I use spinach? I would put the spinach at the end.
Vicky & Ruth
Hi Ella, yes you can use spinach instead of kale in this soup or any other green leafy vegetable. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Raquel
I already made this soup and it’s delicious and filling! If you’re a kale lover then this soup is for you.
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much! We are so glad you enjoyed our kale soup!
Cindy
Love soup this time of year and this was easy and really good!!
Vicky & Ruth
This kale soup, it is so good and comforting. Thank you for sharing.
Linda hake
My first time cooking kale even though my grandma used to make it. This soup is tasty and easy and I only needed a few items from the store. My son liked it and I am making it tonight again.
Vicky & Ruth
This kale soup is one of our favorites, we are happy you and your son agree. Enjoy!
Mary Suncin
My husband and I enjoyed this delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Vicky & Ruth
We are so happy to hear. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us.
Cindy
Easy to make, tasty and filling, my kind of recipe!!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you, Enjoy!
Nancy
I'm making this tonight! It looks amazing, easy and delicious! It has all of the things I love! I'm going back to Vegan after a short stint off, I realize I feel so much better, mentally and physically, with no meat/dairy.
BTW -I LOVE my Tahini and Tumeric cookbook!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you so much Nancy, we are delighted that you are enjoying Tahini and Turmeric.
Keep Cooking!
Vicky & Ruth
Thank you! We are delighted that you are enjoying Tahini and Turmeric.
Keep Cooking!
Mauricia
How much water do you add? Making this recipe tonight!
Vicky and Ruth
3 cups, we fixed the error. Thank you for letting us know!