Spring Vegetable Quinoa Minestrone
It also comes together really quickly, so for those nights when you don't really have a plan to dinner but still want something healthy and nourishing? This soup is it.
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 119kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small white onion diced
- 1 cup sliced carrots about 2 medium
- 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used Tuttorosso)
- 4 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup white quinoa uncooked
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt + pepper to taste*
- 1 cup chopped zucchini 1 small or 1/2 of 1 medium
- 1 1/2 cups chopped asparagus
- 1 packed cup chopped kale or spinach
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Nutritional yeast or parmesan to garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions and carrots and cook until starting to brown, about 2 - 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, water, quinoa, spices, bay leaves, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove lid and stir in remaining vegetables. Cook for 10 minutes more until asparagus has started to soften, but still has a light crunch.
- Taste, adjust seasonings as needed and serve immediately. Garnish with nutritional yeast (or cheese) if you want some cheesy flavor.
Notes
*I used water in this recipe so added about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teapspoon of pepper -- this would be too much if you were using vegetable broth, so start with just 1/2 a teaspoon and adjust from there.
Nutrition
Calories: 119kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 269mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5235IU | Vitamin C: 39.2mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 3.2mg