This Quinoa Vegetable Soup is packed with flavor and wholesome ingredients. It’s loaded with veggies, shredded chicken, tender quinoa, and a perfect spice blend. Make this hearty soup in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) or slow cooker (Crock-pot).
Try some of our other favorite quinoa soups like this Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Crockpot Chicken Quinoa Soup, and Healthy Minestrone Soup.
Can You Put Quinoa In Vegetable Soup?
A resounding yes, and you’ve got to try it — particularly in this very Quinoa Vegetable Soup! While we’re nothing short of obsessed with this plain Vegetable Soup, adding quinoa is a fun way to change things up a bit and boost the nutrition.
If you have ever tried quinoa in soup instead of barley or rice, you know what a great replacement it is for either. Quinoa is a great grain to add to soup because it takes on the flavors of surrounding ingredients and gives the soup a wonderfully thick and hearty texture.
Also, adding quinoa to a soup recipe makes the soup more satiating. This is because quinoa is packed with plant-based protein that helps you feel more full for longer. And especially when there is also chicken in the soup! Of course, you can make this quinoa soup chicken-free if you’d prefer a vegan or vegetarian version, but my family does love it with the chicken.
Quick Tip
Love quinoa? Us too! Check out our collection of all-time favorite Quinoa Recipes!
How To Make Quinoa Vegetable Soup
This recipe is meant to be easy. It can be made on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in a pressure cooker! To maximize flavor and ensure veggie tenderness, you’ll want to use a slow cooker or pressure cooker that has a sautéing function. If not, you can sauté everything in a skillet and transfer.
- Sauté. Sauté the mirepoix (carrot, celery, and onion) in olive oil. Then we add in garlic, tomato paste, and all the seasonings. This is the “secret” to unlocking loads of flavor. Don’t skip or rush past this part and you’ll be rewarded with a deeply flavorful soup!
- Slow cook or pressure cook. Next up, add everything else in, including the uncooked quinoa and uncooked chicken. That’s right — the slow cooker or pressure cooker will do all that work for us!
- Enjoy! Once the Quinoa Vegetable Soup is done cooking, you can remove the chicken and give it a quick shred with 2 forks then return it to the soup. Ladle into bowls, add some toppings, and enjoy this tasty meal!
Quinoa Vegetable Soup FAQs
It depends on the specific recipe, but usually, you can replace quinoa in most recipes that call for farro, bulgur, barley, or other grains.
Yes! No need to cook it beforehand!
Unlike pasta or rice, which can get mushy in leftovers, I find that quinoa holds up well. It may soak up more liquid, but it stays soft, not mushy. I love this soup as leftovers, just thin it with a bit of extra chicken stock!
Unfortunately, soups with quinoa don’t tend to retain their texture after freezing, thawing, and reheating.
Variations
- For a fall Quinoa Vegetable Soup try this Butternut Squash Chili instead or add some in-season fall produce to this soup.
- Stir through 2 cups of coarsely chopped baby spinach at the end for more greens and nutrition!
- Replace the pinto beans with drained and rinsed white beans or chickpeas.
- Try this soup with a different variety of quinoa like garlic-infused quinoa, plain quinoa, or tri-colored quinoa.
How To Top Your Soup Bowl
This Quinoa Vegetable Soup is great right out of the pot, but toppings take it to the next level! Below are our favorites:
- Freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese (my kiddos love lots!)
- A scoop of sour cream (lite or fat-free is great) or Greek yogurt
- A squeeze of fresh lime
- Fresh herbs like cilantro (or parsley if you don’t love cilantro)
Recipe Notes
- The longer this soup cooks, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs. For a heartier soup, that’s great, but if you want it to remain more brothy, stop cooking as soon as the quinoa has “popped.” How to know when the soup is done? Look for chicken that shreds easily, quinoa that is fully cooked through, and tender veggies.
- Rinse the quinoa first: Quinoa has a naturally occurring bitter coating on it, called saponin, and needs to be rinsed before adding to the cooker. Many brands of quinoa are pre-rinsed, so check the package to see if that’s the case. If not, add quinoa to a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold water until the water runs clear.
Pair This Quinoa Vegetable Soup Recipe With:
- Some hearty, crusty bread (or if you’re feeling ambitious, fix some homemade Dinner Rolls!)
- A quick side salad like this Beet Goat Cheese Walnut Salad or Cucumber Salad
- A slice of toasted Honey Whole Wheat Bread or White Bread
- A fruit salad like this Winter Fruit Salad or Creamy Fruit Salad
- Even more veggies! This Roasted Broccoli and Roasted Brussels Sprouts are two favorites!
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Equipment
- 6-quart Crock-Pot or an Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes
- 1 (16-ounce) pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, see note 1
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1-1/2 cups frozen corn or 1 can
- 3/4 cup tri-colored quinoa or plain
- 1 large orange
- 5 cups chicken stock or broth, I like Swanson’s
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Optionally sauté veggies (adds loads of flavor—see note 4): In the base of a slow cooker that can sauté, an Instant Pot insert, or a sauté pan, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high. Once oil is hot, add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and all the seasonings. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Sauté, stirring frequently, until very fragrant and tomato paste starts to darken, about 5 more minutes. Pour in tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom to release any browned bits (especially in an Instant Pot to avoid a burn warning).
- Meanwhile, trim the fat off the chicken. If using breasts, cut each breast into 3 large, even pieces.
- Slow Cooker: If you didn’t use a slow cooker to sauté, scrape every bit of the contents from the pan into the slow cooker. Add trimmed chicken, drained and rinsed pinto beans, undrained corn, uncooked (but rinsed—see note 5) quinoa, 1/2 cup orange juice, and bay leaves. Pour chicken stock over everything and mix well. Cover and cook on high 3–5 hours or until chicken is tender and shreds easily and quinoa has “popped” (my slow cooker takes closer to 3 hours). The longer it cooks, the more liquid the quinoa absorbs, which is why I don’t recommend cooking on low—see note 6.
- Instant Pot: Turn off sauté function and add trimmed chicken, drained and rinsed pinto beans, undrained corn, uncooked (but rinsed—see note 5) quinoa, 1/2 cup orange juice, and bay leaves. Pour chicken stock over everything and mix well. Put on the lid, set valve to “sealed,” and cook on manual for 10 minutes. Naturally release pressure for 7 minutes, then manually release the rest of the pressure (turn valve to “release”).
- Remove chicken and shred with 2 forks. Return shredded chicken to slow cooker or pressure cooker. Remove bay leaves and discard. Taste and season if needed with additional salt and pepper—flavors should sing!
- Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy topped with your favorite toppings such as freshly shredded cheese, fresh cilantro, fresh lime, sour cream (I use low fat), etc.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hey, Chelsea!
This delicious recipe is a fall staple in our home and I cook it on demand! It’s just perfect…the taste, texture, hearty and comforting. Thank you!
Is there someway to update the recipe to an instant pot version? Would you mind very much and give instructions for that, if possible?
Love this recipe! Has great flavor! I think the video skips a step or two (like adding the tomato paste and garlic), so good to also reference the ingredient list.
Love this recipe! Has great flavor!
Thank you Rebecca!!
Absolutely delicious! We got 4 very hefty portions out of this.
I am so happy to hear this Matt! Thanks! 🙂
Is there a way to modify this for use in an instant pot?
Wondering if the cooking time would change if I used chicken breasts instead of thighs? Also, since the quinoa is already mixed in, will it not freeze well?
Yes unfortunately not a great candidate for freezing; the quinoa will continue to bloat and expand. Chicken breasts will take longer; I’d recommend cutting them down (3-4 pieces per breast) first so they’ll cook in time.
This was AMAZING! Thank you so much! I made it for my in-laws and husband. They all loved it. It was super easy too. I put it in the crockpot for 2 hours and it came our perfect. I love the cilantro, lime, and sour cream to add for garnish. Am saving this recipe for sure!
Yay!! So happy this was a hit 🙂 Thanks for the comment Keiko
Does anyone have the nutritional facts for this?
What are the nutritional facts?