As the days get more chilly the craving for comfort food grows. This vegetable quinoa soup made in the instant pot is perfect for those days.
It takes very little time to make this dump-and-go soup with pantry ingredients. This vegan and gluten-free soup can be made ahead of time and included in meal planning.
Vegetable quinoa soup is absolutely flavorful and sure to make your tastebuds crave for more. It not only makes perfect meals but can also be served as an appetizer or a starter during parties and potlucks.
Vegetable quinoa soup ingredients
You guessed it right! The main ingredient to make this vegetable quinoa soup which not only is nutritious but also rich in fiber and high in protein. It is gluten-free and usually grown organically. (Reference healthline)
This hearty soup is made with very few ingredients easily available in the pantry. The best thing is that it is versatile and can be adapted by adding vegetables at hand.
Vegetables like carrots, onions, celery, spinach, kale, bell pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes are used. You can easily skip any of the vegetables or replace with one of your favorites.
Herbs like oregano, thyme, and rosemary add flavor. Once the soup is done cooking, adding some black pepper gives a hint of spiciness which mends with the overall flavor of the soup.
You can use a low sodium vegetable stock or if you are out of it then you can just use water. All flavors get absorbed in the soup while pressure cooking.
Do you have to rinse quinoa?
Quinoa has a natural coating of a compound called saponins which gives quinoa a slightly bitter taste. So it is best to rinse it under cold water to get rid of this compound.
As quinoa grains are very tiny, it is best to use a fine mesh strainer to rinse them 2-3 times under cold water. A fine mesh prevents quinoa from flowing away along with the water.
How to make instant pot quinoa vegetable soup?
Making this dump and go quinoa vegetable soup in instant pot is a breeze. It takes just a few minutes to prep the ingredients and there is no monitoring or sauteing involved.
After rinsing the quinoa thoroughly well with cold water, add and mix all the ingredients except spinach, canned tomatoes, and pepper in the instant pot liner.
If you are using fresh diced tomatoes then you can add them along with all the vegetables. Close and lock the instant pot lid with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 4 minutes followed by 10 minute natural pressure release. It will take about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure.
After 10 minutes NPR, release the remaining pressure manually by turning the knob on venting position until the silver pin drops.
Add and mix the spinach, canned tomatoes, pepper, and adjust salt to taste. You can also add more herbs like thyme and oregano.
What to serve with quinoa soup?
This vegetable quinoa soup is packed with nutrition and fiber. It makes a delicious and flavorful hearty meal in itself that you can just enjoy a bowl of hot soup as is.
You can also serve some accompaniments like dinner rolls, French bread, or garlic pull apart rolls.
You can also enjoy some vegetable sides like roasted broccoli, sweet potato fries, roasted potatoes, or corn on the cob.
How to store quinoa soup?
Quinoa soup is a great make-ahead dish. It stores well in the fridge for 5-6 days and can be frozen for up to 2 months.
You can plan your week and make this hearty and delicious soup in advance or make a larger batch and store the leftovers for later.
To store it in the fridge, you can simply use an air tight container. When you are ready to eat, you just need to reheat it either in the microwave, stovetop, or in the instant pot.
Quinoa vegetable soup freezes well and can be portioned and stored in freezer safe ziploc bags or containers.
When you are ready to eat, you can thaw the frozen soup overnight in the fridge or directly in the microwave and then reheat it before serving.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like these vegan soups made in the instant pot.
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Soup In Instant Pot (Vegan)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Quinoa (rinsed)
- 6 cup Vegetable stock (or water)
- 2 stalk Celery (diced)
- 1 cup Onion (chopped)
- 2 large Carrots (diced)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic (chopped)
- ½ cup Bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 cup Tomato (diced, or 1 can)
Herbs and spices
To be added after cooking
- 1 cup Spinach
- ½ teaspoon Pepper (add after cooking)
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa thoroughly well with cold water.
- Add all the ingredients (except spinach, pepper) and give it a good mix. (If you are using canned tomatoes then add them later)
- Close and lock the instant pot lid with the pressure valve in the sealing position.
- Pressure cook on high-pressure mode for 4 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then release the remaining pressure by turning the knob on venting position until the silver pin drops.
- Add the spinach, canned tomatoes and give it a good mix.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- If you are using canned tomatoes then add them at the end along with spinach.
Shef says
Can we pressure cook this in a pressure cooker?
Alpa Jain says
Hi Shef,
Yes, you can cook it in the pressure cooker.
Regards
Alpa
Marlene says
Can I use my 8 qt pot? I see you use the 6 qt.
Octmiller@yahoo.m
Alpa Jain says
Hi Marlene,
Yes, 8 qt. should work for this recipe.
Regards
Alpa
Krissy says
Can this be made on the stove?
Alpa Jain says
Hi Krissy,
Yes, you can make it on the stovetop. You can boil everything in a pot uncovered for about 20-25 minutes. You will need a little more stock as some of the liquid will evaporate on boiling.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Alpa