Kid Friendly Broccoli Quinoa Soup

Kids need to eat vegetables. Kids don't like eating vegetables. Here is a vegetable packed, nutritious and tasty soup recipe your kids will love for any week night dinner.

If you are a parent, you probably have two regular issues: getting the kids to eat, and getting the kids to eat vegetables. A diet of crackers, cereal, peanut butter and sliced apples does not a healthy child make. The more vegetables we can get into our kids, the better, which is why this recipe is so amazing. You can pack as many vegetables as you have kicking around in the fridge, plus this soup is packed with the hearty protein found in quinoa. And it freezes beautifully, so make a big batch and save some for another day.


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Throw in Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

The best thing about this soup is you can add anything you have hanging around in your fridge. Keeping the vegetables green or white keeps the soup's colour green--adding orange vegetables like carrots turns the soup into a rather unappealing brownish orange colour. Save the orange vegetables and an onion to make another soup!

Broccoli Quinoa Soup

This is the base recipe--feel free to add whatever extra vegetables you have in your fridge.

Prep time 10 min - Total time 25 min

Ingredients for 4 servings
1 cup or more of broccoli--stalks and/or florets • 1 large diced onion • 1/2 cup cooked quinoa • 1/2 cup each of any other green or white vegetable--think peas, zucchini, cauliflower, green lentils • 1 vegetable stock cube (optional) • 2 cups of water, or enough to just cover the vegetables • grated cheese for garnish

Here's how you make the soup:

Bring water to the boil. Add broccoli, onion, stock cube and any other vegetables. Allow to cook briefly, until vegetables are just softened. Remove from heat, add the cooked quinoa and blend until smooth. Serve right away with a sprinkle of grated cheese or dollop of sour cream or thick, plain yogurt.

You may wish to leave the stock cube out until after the soup is blended, The onion adds significant flavour and some palates may not enjoy the added taste of stock. Also, the soup can easily be made without stock, so no need to rush out to the shops to get some.

Recipe:

5.0/5 Stars (1 Votes)

Don't Overcook Your Vegetables!

It is rather important that the soup only cooks long enough to just soften the vegetables. Overcooked vegetables lose some of their nutrients to the heat. Your broccoli and other greens will maintain a fresher flavour if not cooked to a mush. Also, since this is a soup that is likely to be reheated, there is no need to overcook right off the mark.

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Great Side Dishes To Broccoli Quinoa Soup

With such a nutrient packed soup, what can you add to round out the meal?

Because of the quinoa, this soup is a meal unto itself. Quinoa is packed with protein and is rather caloric, so a little goes a long way. Your little ones will be full up, but feel free to add a lovely, thick slice of fresh homemade bread to sop up the last drops of soup.

If you serve the soup as a starter, match it with a hearty pasta casserole made with cream sauce, or a tasty mushroom risotto. For lunch, a simple quiche or Greek salad would suffice.

Updated: 02/24/2013, BrookeVanBeek

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Mira on 03/17/2014

This is such a good idea. Simple and so very healthy. Tasty, too, if you add those stock cubes.

katiem2 on 02/05/2013

That's a great idea...using broccoli in a way that uses the entire veggie. Most people only like the floret while most everyone throws away the stalk this soup puts it to good nutritious use, I like it. :)

BrookeVanBeek on 02/04/2013

Katiem2, had to say I was surprised the first time I made this and the kids smashed it. So made it again, they smashed it again, and they still love it now. It's a great way to make use of the stalk part of the broccoli too--you don't need to use any florets at all if you don't want to!

katiem2 on 02/04/2013

I have one who likes broccoli and one that doesn't. I'm going to give this kid friendly soup a try. Thanks for the great tips and recipe. :)K

BrookeVanBeek on 01/30/2013

It is the easiest recipe ever Jo, that's what's so great about it. Put green things in pot, heat, blend, eat. And my kids devour this--it is so nice to watch them eat healthy food!