Quinoa Soup with Mini Vegan Meatballs

closeup overhead of quinoa soup in white bowl with spoon in it

Quinoa Soup with Mini Vegan Meatballs

This gluten-free quinoa soup with mini vegan meatballs is a hearty, satisfying and comforting meal that's perfect for the whole family. Pair it with a side salad or some gluten-free, vegan garlic bread.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword gluten free, quinoa, soup, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings -8

Calories 337kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

FOR THE VEGAN MEATBALLS

14 oz Beyond Sausage (I used Original Brat)
3 tablespoon aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid)
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup grated or shredded vegan Parmesan cheese (I used Thrive Market brand)
¼ cup gluten-free, vegan plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SOUP

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 cups low sodium vegetable broth (80 oz; use certified GF broth if necessary)
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked white quinoa, rinsed and drained

Instructions

FOR THE VEGAN MEATBALLS

Preheat oven to 400° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove sausages from their casings and add to a mixing bowl. Mash up with a fork.
Add aquafaba, garlic, vegan Parmesan, bread crumbs, parsley and pepper and use a spoon, rubber spatula or your hands to mix together until ingredients are well incorporated.
Bake meatballs for 20 minutes.
Use a 2-teaspoon or 1-tablespoon cookie scoop (#70 or #100 disher) to scoop out the mixture onto the baking sheet. Use your hands to form and roll into balls.
Bake for 20 minutes. When done, set aside until ready to use.

FOR THE SOUP

While the meatballs are cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a 5-qt. soup pot.
Add carrots, celery, garlic and onion and season with salt. Cook until veggies are softened, about 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the veggie broth and black pepper and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and use tongs to carefully add the meatballs to the soup.
Stir in the quinoa.
Continue to simmer uncovered until quinoa is fully cooked, approximately 15-20 minutes.
Season with additional salt to taste, if desired, before serving.

Video

Notes

Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the leftovers in a pot on the stovetop until warmed throughout, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat in the microwave in a covered microwave-safe container in 1-minute intervals, stirring in between. When reheating, you may need to add more broth as the quinoa tends to soak it up while sitting in the refrigerator. Note that the "meatballs" will start to break up over time from sitting in the liquid and being stirred around during reheating.

You can also freeze the soup in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw it completely in the refrigerator before reheating. Once defrosted, reheat the soup on the stovetop, ensuring you bring it to a boil.

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Please note the nutrition calculation for this recipe does not include the aquafaba since there is limited information regarding its nutritional composition. According to this Healthline article, aquafaba adds approximately 3-5 calories per tablespoon.

Nutrition