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)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 447 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbohydrates
- 87 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fiber
- 19 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1906 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 1443 mg
- Calcium
- 234 mg
- Iron
- 8.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 206 mg
- Phosphorus
- 396 mg
- Zinc
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 468 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 100 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.23 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.20 mg
- Niacin
- 1.4 mg
- Folate
- 102 mcg
- Water
- 407 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
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.
Troubleshooting
The quinoa tastes bitter or slightly soapy.
Cause: The natural saponin coating on the outside of the quinoa seeds was not adequately washed off before cooking.
Fix: Add a little extra lemon juice or salt to help mask the bitterness, but it cannot be entirely removed once cooked.
Prevention: Always rinse quinoa vigorously under cold running water in a fine mesh strainer for at least 30 seconds until the water runs completely clear.
The soup is extremely thick the next day, resembling a stew rather than a soup.
Cause: Quinoa acts like a sponge and continues to absorb the broth as it sits in the refrigerator overnight.
Fix: Stir in 100 to 200 ml of vegetable broth or water when reheating the soup to restore the desired consistency.
Prevention: If making ahead specifically for meal prep, cook the quinoa separately and add it to individual portions right before eating.
Cultural Context
While quinoa is an ancient Andean staple cultivated for thousands of years by the Incas, integrating it into a classic mirepoix-based bean soup marries South American superfoods with traditional European farmhouse cooking. This modern, plant-based approach prioritizes heartiness and nutritional density without sacrificing classic comfort.
