1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery, diced

1 large zucchini, chopped

2 garlic cloves. minced

10 ounces frozen green beans, slightly thawed

32 ounces vegetable stock {I used no-salt added}

28 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes

2 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup quinoa

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

2 cups kale, ribs removed

30 ounces of canned beans, drained & rinsed {I used a mixture of chickpeas & cannelloni beans}

Splash of lemon juice

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Salt & pepper to taste

Olive oil

In a large pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat; add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, green beans and garlic; cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, crushed tomatoes, water, rosemary, thyme, parsley, sugar and salt and pepper; bring to a boil and decrease heat to medium low and allow to cook about 15 minutes. Stir in the uncooked quinoa, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the beans, kale and splash of lemon juice and cook until the kale begins to wilt, about 3-5 minutes. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread!

A fun and healthy take on traditional minestrone, the kale and quinoa combine for a delicious and vitatmin-packed soup. You can add a number of different vegetables to this soup, but I love the way the kale combines with the traditional soup ingredients of onions, carrots and celery, along with the tender zucchini. If you would prefer keeping with the traditional pasta in your soup, you can definitely switch the quinoa out, you would just have to cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup at the end 🙂 I served this delicious soup with the most wonderful, crusty bread from Wegmans. {If you have a Wegmans even remotely close to you, it’s a place you must check out!} This is the perfect soup for a fall or winter evening, and the best part is it’s healthy too! 

Happy cooking and thanks for stopping by!

*Slightly adapted from Cooking Classy.