Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Spices & Seasonings
- 2 g dried thyme
- 2 g dried oregano
- 2 g smoked paprika
- kosher salt
- black pepper
Broth & Bulk
- 1200 ml vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 400 g canned white beans, rinsed and drained
- 100 g white quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
Finishing Touches
- 60 g baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing until the onions turn translucent and the vegetables begin to soften.
Stir in the minced garlic, dried thyme, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook while stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning, just until the spices become highly fragrant.
Pour in the vegetable broth and the diced tomatoes with their juices. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, releasing any browned flavor bits stuck to the surface.
Add the thoroughly rinsed quinoa and drained white beans to the pot. Increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a gentle boil at 100°C/212°F.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with a lid and let the soup simmer gently until the quinoa is fully cooked and tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the chopped baby spinach and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Let the soup sit for a minute until the residual heat wilts the spinach. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as desired.
Chef's Notes
- Acid is crucial for waking up a soup. The final addition of lemon juice brightens the earthy flavors of the beans and quinoa. If you do not have lemon, a splash of apple cider vinegar works nicely.
- For a deeper, more robust flavor profile, consider adding a parmesan rind to the pot while the soup simmers. Remove it before serving. Note that this will remove the vegan/dairy-free status of the dish.
- Do not skip rinsing the beans. Canned beans sit in a starchy liquid that can make your soup cloudy and overly thick. Rinsing them ensures a cleaner broth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Quinoa will continue to absorb broth as it sits; you may need to add water when reheating.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in airtight containers leaving head space for expansion.
Reheating: Warm on stovetop over medium heat until gently simmering, adding a splash of vegetable broth or water to loosen the consistency.
