Vegan Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup! Treat yourself to a bowl of this hearty vegan delight and let the goodness of plant-based ingredients revitalize your senses, one spoonful at a time.

Each delightful spoonful of this Vegan Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup is a blend of rich flavors and perfect for cozying up on a chilly day. Let the velvety texture of the cashew cream envelop your taste buds, leaving you feeling nourished and content. Embrace the plant-based goodness of this hearty soup and elevate your dining experience with every delectable mouthful.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

We dove into this protein-rich and hearty soup with a gusto. The addition of quinoa brings a delightful heartiness to each spoonful, adding a satisfying texture and experience.

You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This soup is full of creamy, delicious Italian herbaceous flavors. The cashew cream gives it richness. The quinoa is full of protein and heartiness.
• Amount of Quinoa: The amount of quinoa is a personal preference. Quinoa is very thirsty. Initially, the amount will seem on the low side, however, quinoa will continue to expand and drink up liquids as it sits. We initially kitchen tested this soup with 1 cup of quinoa and the quinoa literally drank up all the broth within 30 minutes of sitting off the stove turning the soup into an almost risotto type of texture (which was not what we were going for).
• Quinoa Rinsing: Rinse the quinoa really well to remove the bitterness. Quinoa grows with a natural coating called saponin that protects them from fungus and pests. Saponin has a bitter flavor that can impact the end result flavor of a dish if the quinoa is not rinsed really well.
• Boiling versus Simmering: This soup needs to simmer which is defined here as a low, very gentle boil. A rolling boil will destroy/dissolve the veggies and quinoa into the broth resulting in a less appetizing soup.
• Kale Substitutions: You can pretty much swap out the baby kale for your favorite greens with the understanding that the flavor and texture may be impacted accordingly.
• Greens: Greens such as spinach and kale are natural spice/herb neutralizers.  A soup/stew can taste perfectly seasoned before adding the greens, then once the greens are added, the flavor mellows requiring more seasoning.
• Cashew Substitutes: You can try the typical cashew substitutes: silken tofu, white beans, other nuts or seeds with the understanding that the flavor and texture will change accordingly.  You may need to adjust/add ingredients to compensate.   We have not tested any substitutions.
• Chickpea Substitutions: You can pretty much swap out the chickpeas for your favorite white bean. Keep in mind that chickpeas are hearty. If you decide to use a more tender bean like cannellini or great northern beans, then do not add until the end when you add the kale.
• Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry.  The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.

This soup can be frozen.

Pantry Products:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Dried Crushed Thyme Leaves: If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs. 

Kitchen Products:

• Large stock pot

If you try this delicious soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 20 Minutes
• Cook Time: 35-40 Minutes
• Total Time: 55 Minutes
• Yield: 9 Cups 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Each delightful spoonful of this Vegan Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup is a blend of rich flavors and perfect for cozying up on a chilly day.

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Ingredients

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Base Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
• 3 carrots, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
• 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
• 2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth *
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed well
• 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed *

Cashew Cream Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup [raw] cashews *
• ½ cup water

Add-In Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 2 to 3 cups fresh baby kale (or baby spinach), chopped * 

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 ½ teaspoons dried oregano (+/-)
• 2 teaspoons dried basil (+/-)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning (+/-)
• ½ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves (+/-) *
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ to 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
• Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
• Pinch to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (+/-) 

Other Optional Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen peas (thawed) 

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fresh parsley
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese 

Serving Ideas:

• Flatbread or crusty bread

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Instructions

1. Place the cashews into a small bowl, cover with boiling water, set aside to soak for 15 to 20 minutes, then drain off the water (discard) and set the soaked cashews aside until Step 7.
2. Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the crushed red pepper) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
3. In a large stock pot, add the diced onions, carrots, and celery; sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes.  Add a tablespoon or so of vegetable broth or water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
4. Add the minced garlic to the pot, stir constantly for one minute.
5. Add all the remaining Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well, then bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
6. In the meantime, place the soaked cashews into a high-speed blender with ½ cup of water, blend on high for approximately one minute (+/-) or until smooth and emulsified.
7. After the soup has simmered for 20 minutes and the quinoa is just tender, add the cashew cream, chopped baby kale, peas, and crushed red pepper, stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes, remove from the stove, allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry.
8. Top with chopped fresh parsley and Vegan Parmesan Cheese, serve with flatbread or crusty bread.

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Notes

*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.

*Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

*Servings:  6 servings 9 cups

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