Healthy Minestrone Soup

5 from 10 votes

Healthy Minestrone Soup swaps pasta for quinoa and packs in loads of veggies with a flavorful seasoned broth—hearty, nutritious, and delicious!

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Healthy Minestrone Soup

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $8.35

Equipment

Large cast-iron pot

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil plus 1 tablespoon to finish
1 cup diced carrots 2 large carrots
1 cup diced yellow onion 1 small onion
1 cup diced celery 3 celery stalks
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes I love San Marzano or Muir Glen
6 cups vegetable stock I recommend Swanson
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup tri-colored quinoa see note 1
1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern white beans drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup diced zucchini see note 2
2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley optional
Parmesan cheese optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large, cast-iron pot. Heat to medium and once oil is hot, add diced carrots, diced celery, diced onion, and minced garlic. Add a tiny pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until veggies are tender, about 7–9 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for another minute. Add in dried thyme, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook and stir until fragrant, about another 30 seconds.
Add the undrained, fire-roasted diced tomatoes and vegetable stock. Add bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, covered most of the way with a lid (leave a 1-inch gap for the steam to escape).
Remove the lid entirely and add the rinsed quinoa. Cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes over low heat (soup should maintain a simmer, but not boil).
After 15 minutes, add drained and rinsed white beans, frozen corn, frozen beans, and diced zucchini. Stir and cook for 5 more minutes or until quinoa has fully “popped” and veggies are warmed through. Remove from heat and gently stir in the spinach. The spinach should wilt within a minute or two. Finish the soup with another tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley, if desired.
Slow Cooker Instructions: Follow step 1, then transfer everything from that pot to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add diced tomatoes, stock, rinsed quinoa, drained and rinsed white beans, zucchini, frozen corn, frozen peas, and bay leaves. Cook on high for 2–3 hours or low for 3–5 hours or until quinoa has popped and veggies are tender. Stir in spinach, olive oil, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Remove bay leaves. Adjust salt and pepper; serve in bowls garnished with fresh parsley and topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Note 1: If the quinoa isn’t already rinsed (it will say so on the package), add it to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. This removes the saponin coating, which can cause quinoa to taste bitter.

Note 2: I like the zucchini crisp-tender. If you’d like it totally tender, add it in when you stir in the quinoa.

Storage: The soup thickens as quinoa expands and is best enjoyed within 2–3 days. It doesn't freeze well as it absorbs liquid and becomes overly thick.

Nutrition