Keep warm with this hearty quinoa vegetable soup. It's packed with a ton of veggies and plant-based protein. It's easy to make in the slow cooker and makes great leftovers! Gluten-free and vegan, as long as you skip the cheese.
grated parmigiano-reggianofor topping (omit if vegan)
Instructions
Sauté oil over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until onions are translucent and fragrant. Add in carrots, celery and mushrooms and sauté for 5-10 minutes more.
Add sautéed veggies and all remaining ingredients except the kale and zucchini into the slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours or until quinoa is fully cooked.
Add zucchini and kale about 30 minutes before soup is finished cooking.
Taste the soup before serving and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Portion soup into bowls and top with cheese if using.
Let soup cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Vegetables – Don’t love one of the veggies I’ve included or have another veggie in your fridge that needs to be used up? Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand.
Potatoes – I used sweet potatoes, but any potatoes will do! You can even swap in butternut squash for the sweet potatoes if you want.
More protein – This soup already has 9 grams of protein per serving thanks to the quinoa, but if you're looking to amp up the protein even more you can add a 15 ounce can of chickpeas or white beans to the soup.
Spice – I like to add a little crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper to give the soup a little kick!