Nourishing Winter Veggie Soup (Printable Copy)

A hearty soup with vibrant winter vegetables and quinoa, perfect for chilly days and nourishing meals.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
04 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
07 - 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced
08 - 1 cup chopped kale or Swiss chard (stems removed)
09 - 1 cup chopped cabbage
10 - 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

→ Grains & Legumes

11 - ½ cup rinsed quinoa

→ Broth & Seasonings

12 - 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
17 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
18 - Juice of ½ lemon (optional)

# How to Make:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
02 - Add peeled and sliced carrots, sliced celery, diced parsnip, and diced sweet potato. Stir occasionally and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
03 - Stir in chopped kale or Swiss chard, chopped cabbage, and diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2 minutes to soften greens.
04 - Add rinsed quinoa, low-sodium vegetable broth, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender and quinoa is fully cooked.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Stir in chopped fresh parsley and lemon juice if using. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and asks nothing complicated of you—just chopping and letting the pot do the work.
  • Every spoonful feels genuinely nourishing without tasting like you're eating for your health, if that distinction makes sense.
  • The soup tastes even better the next day, so you're really cooking for multiple meals at once.
02 -
  • Rinse your quinoa properly before adding it—I learned this the hard way when I didn't and the soup took on a slightly bitter, soapy flavor that no amount of lemon could fix.
  • Don't skip the bay leaf even though it seems like a small thing; it creates a subtle depth that actually matters in a broth this simple and honest.
  • If your broth is saltier than expected, add a splash of water rather than more seasoning—it's easier to adjust than to undo.
03 -
  • Don't crowd your pot when you're sautéing the onions and garlic—give them space so they can actually soften and caramelize slightly instead of steaming themselves.
  • Taste the broth before you add salt because low-sodium broths vary wildly, and you want to season intentionally rather than automatically.
  • Make this soup once and you'll remember exactly how to make it forever—it's the kind of recipe that lives in your hands rather than needing the written version.
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