Nourishing Winter Veggie Soup (Printable)

Hearty winter vegetables and quinoa simmered in an aromatic broth for a nourishing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
07 - 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup chopped kale or Swiss chard, stems removed
09 - 1 cup chopped cabbage
10 - 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned

→ Grains & Legumes

11 - 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley for garnish
18 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; sauté 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
02 - Add peeled and sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced parsnip, and diced sweet potato. Cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
03 - Stir in chopped kale or Swiss chard, chopped cabbage, and diced tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes.
04 - Add rinsed quinoa, vegetable broth, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and quinoa is cooked.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in chopped fresh parsley and optional lemon juice. Adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and fills your kitchen with a smell that makes everything feel more manageable.
  • You can throw in whatever vegetables are about to wilt, making it impossible to mess up.
  • It's the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day, so cooking once feels like cheating.
02 -
  • Quinoa only gets mushy if you add it at the beginning with too much liquid; adding it with the broth and simmering for exactly the right time keeps each grain intact and slightly toothsome.
  • That bay leaf isn't optional—it's a small thing that prevents the soup from tasting generic, but removing it at the end keeps the flavor sophisticated rather than overwhelming.
03 -
  • Rinsing quinoa takes thirty seconds and completely changes its texture—don't skip it thinking you're saving time.
  • If you make this soup and freeze it, do it before adding the fresh parsley and lemon; add those when you reheat so they taste bright instead of dull.
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