Quinoa Chickpea and Spinach Soup
Quinoa Chickpea Spinach Soup- a simple and hearty vegetable soup that’s packed full of plant protein! (vegan + gluten-free)
Did you know that Americans spend more time watching cooking shows on television than they spend cooking in their own kitchen?
Between the rise in the number of women working outside of the home and the food industry begging to let them do the cooking for us, I guess it’s not that big of a surprise. I’m guilty of watching the Food Network just as much as anyone else. In fact, that’s where the inspiration for this recipe came from. Everyday Italian, baby! What can I say? I love me some Giada.
But, with all of the resolutions being made for the new year, I think that cooking at home more often should be one of them. Letting someone else do the work for you is always nice but they usually don’t care about how good it is for you. Not to mention that it’s typically more expensive. Besides, with recipes like this, cooking at home is a breeze! All you have to do is chop a few veggies, sauté them for a couple of minutes and then pour everything else into the pot and let it do the rest.
Quinoa Chickpea and Spinach Soup Ingredients
- Onion, Garlic and Carrots– these veggies make up the flavor base of the soup. You could also add celery if you like but I personally don’t think it’s necessary.
- Spinach– Baby spinach or regular spinach both work, however I like to chop the spinach before adding to the recipe. This step is optional but if you’re like me and don’t like the somewhat slimy texture of wilted spinach leaves in soup then I recommend chopping them first.
- Vegetable Broth- Using a flavorful broth is key to making this soup delicious. My favorite is Better Than Bouillon.
- Diced Tomatoes- Tomatoes add both texture and savory flavor. Crushed tomatoes could also work but we prefer the chunky texture of diced.
- Fresh Rosemary- Adding just a few sprigs of fresh rosemary infuses the broth with herby goodness. I don’t recommend skipping it.
- Quinoa- Cooking the quinoa in the broth makes this a super easy, one-pot recipe. For optimum digestion, it’s best to soak the quinoa for a few hours before adding it to the soup. Again, optional but recommended.
- Chickpeas- Precooked garbanzo beans are ideal for saving time. Just make sure you drain and rinse them first.
- Lemon Juice- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens up the soup and adds a nice does of vitamin C making it perfect for the winter blues.
This soup is one of our favorites because of how flavorful and nutritious it is. Fresh herbs seep into the broth, giving it a richness that warms you to the bone. It also packs a hefty punch of protein from quinoa, chickpeas and spinach so you won’t be left feeling hungry afterwards. Trust me, after a bowl of this soup you’ll be happy you cooked at home!
Looking for more soup recipes?
- Easy Vegetable Minestrone Soup
- The Best Lentil Soup
- Dairy-free Potato Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Lemony Lentil and Greens Soup
- Roasted Acorn Squash and Apple Soup
Quinoa Chickpea and Spinach Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, I like avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 medium-size carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 cups chopped spinach
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed*
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the carrot, garlic, and spinach then continue to cook for about 2 minutes.
- To the pot, add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, thyme, rosemary and the quinoa. Bring to a low boil, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the chickpeas and cook for 5 more minutes, until heated through.
- Remove the sprig of rosemary then squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon and stir to combine. Serve warm and enjoy!
This recipe looks great! I am going to save it and send it to my mom. We both love soup this time of year.
Thanks, Lauren! I hope you both enjoy it!
This looks delicious! and the cold weather is calling for SOUP! I love chickpeas + quinoa because they’re both so filling.
This soup looks so good especially on a cold, winter day like today. I could use a good soup!
I love Miss Giada, too!
I can put away some SERIOUS Triple D-watching hours…it’s kinda sad, but what can I say? I’m a sucker for people who ravage greasy burgers on the tele. And Giada? Want to be that perfect, perfect woman. I actually didn’t realize people watched people cook more than cooking themselves, cuh-rayzee!! Thankfully we have peeps like you whipping up fast and healthful recipes. We shall penetrate society with our recipes. Look out, society: prepare to be penetrated.
Gimme dat vegan protein! :D
I’m so glad I have a partner to help me penetrate society, lol!
I am curious to know what was in the soup that inspired you this beautiful dish. I suspect there was something else instead of Quinoa, a grain that is sadly almost impossible to find here in Italy! This is the type of dish I would enjoy at least 2-3 times a week: it’s healthy and, as you said, easy to make.
That sounds perfect on a day like this! I know I definitely spend more time watching cooking shows than actually cooking. I tend to go for the quick and easy stuff, but luckily Riley takes his time and makes fancier meals!
What a delicious looking and simple soup! I’ll bet it would freeze really well too.
Thank you, Nora! I haven’t tried it but I think it would freeze well.
This soup is sooooo delicious!!! The only substitution I made was kale instead of spinach because I had some kale on hand I wanted to use up. The flavor is simply amazing and the lemon truly brightens up this soup. It went together so quickly. I will definitely make it again.
Thank you so much for the review, Donna! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it!
What a delicious looking hearty soup! This recipe is the kind of soup that leaves you satisfied. Yum :)
Thanks, Medha! It is very satisfying. :)
Yes, with that new spacious kitchen! ;)
I know, I thought that it was similar when I saw yours yesterday. I need to try your version because I love the sound of the garlic, lemon and artichokes!
Yes, it is a nice treat when you only do it once in a while!
I love that you don’t have to cook the quinoa separately!! I’ll try it for sure!
Thanks, Isabelle! I hope you love it as much as I do! :)
I finally found the time to cook that soup. So good, flavorful and hearty!! So worth the try! This will be my lunch this week… Thanks Sarah!
Aw, thank you so much for letting me know you made it! That makes me so happy to hear. Have a great week, Isabelle!
I totally agree with you – I think cooking at home is one of the best things that people can do for their health. This soup looks delicious! I’m a big fan of any tomato based soup with beans in it.
Just made this for supper. Yummy and filling! Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks Cheryl. :)
You had me at rosemary, thyme, and sage. Quinoa is such a tasty and versatile protein. Thanks for the recipe.
Yummy recipe. I use spicy red pepper diced tomatoes to give it a bit of a punch. Oh so yummy!
I have a feeling this will be my new favourite soup…!! ;D
So glad someone pinned this on pinterest recently so I could find this great soup recipe and wonderful blog. Thanks.
Aw, that’s so sweet of you to say! Thanks Donna! :)
i was strolling though the comments to see what people had to say about the soup before I made it, but I see that no one actually commented on how the soup was and how it turned out. So I made it anyways and it turned out pretty good I’m glad I decided to try it out. It’s very healthy, tast very good and doesn’t take long to make at all. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
I’m glad to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks Staci! :)
Is the Quinoa supposed to be ore-cooked? I can’t seem to figure it out one way or the other.
Hi Michael! Sorry for the confusion, It not’s supposed to be pre-cooked. You rinse it and then add it to the pot and it cooks with everything else. I hope that helps! :)
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I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! Thank you So Much for sharing! I am trying to recover from stage 3 adrenal fatigue and am having the Hardest time finding healthy recipes that taste good and stick to the rules! You seriously made my night by providing this recipe online. It will become a staple in my meal choices and it’s so good! I’m very grateful.
Your comment made me feel so good, Julia! Thank you for taking the time to write that. I really appreciate it! :)
My husband and I LOVE this soup!! So fast and easy to make, I had everything in my refrigerator and cupboard to make this. I love that you don’t have to cook the quinoa first! I will certainly be making this again and again.
Yay! I’m so happy you like it, Karen. It’s one of my favorites too. Thank you so much for the feedback!
This spinach soup was a godsend when my son got sick with the flu. Thanks for sharing this life saving recipe and hope to try others on your site.
Great recipe Sarah – my wife loves soups, so I bet she will like this one… :)
I only have dried rosemary and no thyme or sage, any suggestions on how I could still make this soup please?
You can try making it with 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary. The flavor won’t be as good as if you had fresh but it should still be enjoyable. Let me know if you give it a try!
I made this last night and it was lovely, even without the carrots (which I didn’t have). At the end I added a teaspoon of good quality extra virgin olive oil. It was divine
Just made this last night…absolutely delicious! Definitely one of the best home made soups I’ve ever made.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. It’s one of my favorites too. Thanks, Ashley!
Hi Kerry! I’m sorry I don’t have the nutrition facts- but I’m working on getting a new calculator to provide them for you soon!
Made this last night! Was delicious and easy to make! Def making again !! Eating healthy should be like this all the time! Simple and delicious!!!
Thanks for the awesome review, Christina! I’m glad you enjoyed it. :)
Excellent! I used one cup of low sodium broth and 4 cups of water for less sodium. Very easy to make, filling and made about 6 servings. I put some in the freezer…
Thanks for the kind review, Betsy!
Made this earlier in the week and it was outstanding. This is a really easy recipe, even for someone like me who hates cooking.
I love hearing that! Thanks Chris!
I made this soup yesterday and it is amazing! I used Basil (instead of Rosemary) and Zatar instead of Thyme and then forgot the lemon, plus used tomato sauce (basically I was grabbing whatever I had available to me :-). I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for such an amazing hearty, delicious nutritious vegan soup. Shows folks, that no, you don’t need to add meat to have a protein-packed and flavorful dish!
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you for the review!
Made a large pot of this soup and brought it to the office. It was instantly gone. Shared the recipe with over 10 people! Then I made it at home and it became an instant family favourite. Thank you for the great recipe! It is amazing!
Wow that’s amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. That’s the greatest gift I can ask for. :)
Mmm!! This soup is delicious. I was looking for a nice and filling veggie soup for my lunches this week and this one is perfect. I love the added squeeze of lemon at the end and the rosemary. Those were wonderful touches. I can’t wait to heat this soup up throughout the week for lunch.
Made this recipe exactly and it was great!! Sharing the recipe with co-workers today. New to vegetarian cooking. Very pleased with how great things are. Will make you a favorite for recipes, Thanks.
I love earthy stews/soups like this! What a fabulous reshare, Sarah! I’m all in for recipe inspiration, but when it comes to food, I’m pretty picky. Most of the time, I’d rather just eat in spending time in the kitchen (unless, as you know, it’s a restaurant who gives a damn!).
adding about a teaspoon of chipotle for heat and smoky flavor took it to the next level. served with toasted naan garlic bread from aldi’s and ooooooh!
So delicious and easy to make! My 3 year old even loved it!
I love it when littles like them too! Thank you for the review :)
My mouth is watering just thinking about it. A quick and easy recipe.