File this flavorful soup under fast food, one-pot recipes, or quick weeknight dinners.
Once you have your ingredients ready, throw everything in a pot, bring to a boil, and sit down to eat in less than 20 minutes.
I wanted the soup to look pretty so I used red quinoa, yellow corn, orange carrot, and green zucchini and celery. And I added garlic, cumin and turmeric to add flavor and depth.

But you do your thing and improvise: White quinoa of course works. Use veggies you have on hand. Things like peas, green beans, chopped cauliflower or kale.
It’s all swimming in an organic, low-sodium vegetable stock from a box, which you don’t have to use—water’s fine.
You can also soak the quinoa overnight. It will start developing a little tail, and you’ll be able to call your soup “sprouted.”
What’s quinoa again?

Quinoa is a protein-rich, gluten-free superfood that grows high in the Andes mountain range in South America, exposing it to searing sunshine and freezing nights.
It was quinoa that made the Incan culture so rich and strong. Peruvians, for example, eat it soft in the morning as a porridge, as a whole grain dish at other meals, and often it is cooked into a soup like this one.
More soup ideas? Take a look at these ones:
Uncooked and blended: Raw Vegan Tomato-Pepper-Avocado Soup
Classic country Czech: Czech Potato Soup (Bramboračka)
Probiotic: Sauerkraut-Potato Soup
Now you.
What’s your favorite quinoa color? Have you been to the Andes or Peru?
Tell me in the comments.
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Red Quinoa Soup With Corn, Carrot and Zucchini
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
Description
File this flavorful, vibrant soup under fast food, one-pot recipes, or quick weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa (any color)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- ½ cup finely diced, peeled, yellow onion
- ½ cup finely diced, trimmed zucchini (about 1 small zucchini)
- ½ cup finely diced, peeled, carrot (about 1 small carrot)
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 6 cups unsalted or low-sodium vegetable stock, or water
- 2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Place the quinoa in a fine strainer and wash under cold running water to remove the bitter saponin coating.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa, corn, onion, zucchini, celery, garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric and vegetable broth, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, covered, until the quinoa is cooked, about 10–15 minutes.
- Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice, and add more salt and black pepper to taste.
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months
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