This soup swaps the usual pasta for quinoa in a tomato-based ground beef and bean soup modeled on the classic Italian-American pasta e fagioli. The result is a thick, protein-heavy one-pot meal that comes together in under an hour. If you want something filling that doesn’t require much cleanup, this is a solid weeknight option.
Smart swaps
- Quinoa: Rinse it before it goes in — the natural coating (saponin) tastes bitter if you skip that step. Pre-rinsed quinoa from the bag is fine and saves a strainer.
- Cannellini and red kidney beans: Canned beans work perfectly here. Drain and rinse them directly over the sink — no extra bowl needed.
- Ground beef: An 80/20 blend gives the broth better flavor than leaner beef. If you use 90/10, add a small drizzle of olive oil when browning so the meat doesn’t dry out.
- Dried herbs (oregano, basil): These are pantry staples, so no swap needed — but if you only have Italian seasoning blend, use that at the same quantity.
What makes this version work
Two things matter most here. First, brown the ground beef properly before anything else goes in — let it sit undisturbed in the pot for a minute or two so it develops some color rather than steaming gray. That browning builds the base flavor the whole soup depends on. Second, add the quinoa with enough time to cook through fully (it needs about 15 minutes of simmering) but not so early that it turns to mush and disappears into the broth. Timing it right keeps the texture distinct — you want each spoonful to have something to chew.
Mistakes to avoid
- Not draining excess fat after browning the beef: Too much fat left in the pot makes the broth greasy. Tip the pot slightly and spoon off the excess before adding vegetables, or use a paper towel held with tongs.
- Adding quinoa too early: If it goes in with the vegetables, it overcooks and becomes starchy paste. Add it after the broth is already simmering.
- Under-seasoning the broth: Beans and quinoa both absorb salt. Taste the soup after the quinoa is cooked and adjust — it almost always needs more than you expect at that stage.
- Skipping the simmer time after combining everything: A short simmer of at least 10 minutes after all ingredients are in lets the beans break down slightly and naturally thicken the broth. Rushing it leaves the soup thin and flat-tasting.
- Crowding the pot when browning: If you’re doubling the recipe, brown the beef in two batches. One overcrowded batch steams instead of browns and you lose the flavor foundation — skip the garnish instead, not worth the extra dish.
Leftovers and meal prep
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The quinoa continues to absorb liquid as it sits, so the soup will thicken considerably — add a splash of broth or water when reheating on the stovetop over medium-low heat. For freezing, this soup holds well for up to 3 months; freeze it in individual portions for easy weekday lunches. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove rather than the microwave for more even results. Make sure reheated soup reaches a full simmer before serving, especially if it contains beef, which should have been cooked to 160°F (71°C) initially.
Savoury Quinoa e Fagioli Soup Recipe
Ingredients
1 ¼ pound ground beef (minced beef)
1 cup celery - chopped
1 cup onion - chopped
1 cup carrots - diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 cup vegetable stock (vegetable broth or vegetable bouillon)
1 cup beef stock (beef broth or beef bouillon)
28 ounces passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed)
2 ½ cup red kidney beans - do not drain
2 cups quinoa - cooked
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and garlic for a minute. Then, brown the ground beef in medium to high heat by stirring constantly. Drain the liquid.
- Place the pot back on the stove, then add salt, pepper, basil, thyme, and oregano to the pot. Keep stirring to mix in flavours well. Stir for about a minute and a half.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and kidney beans, and continue to stir for a minute. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa.
- Then add the vegetable and beef broth. Simmer for 10 minutes in low-medium heat.
- I added roughly 2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic to a large dutch oven. Then I browned the ground beef with garlic and olive oil. Keep stirring so that the garlic flavor mixes well into the beef. Then turn off the heat and drain the liquid. Be careful not to burn yourself!
- I put back the pot of browned beef on the stove on medium heat and then added the spices and salt. I gave it another 2 minutes of good stirring before adding the vegetables. You need to stir it well again to mix in the flavour. Then add the crushed tomatoes and kidney beans and stir.
- Add the beef and vegetable broths, and then add the cooked quinoa last. I think using homemade broths enriched the flavour of this soup.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use uncooked quinoa directly in the soup, or does it need to be cooked first?
Add it dry and uncooked directly to the simmering broth — it cooks in the pot in about 15 minutes. Just make sure you rinse it first to remove any bitterness, then stir it in once the soup is already at a steady simmer.
Will this soup work with ground turkey instead of ground beef?
Yes, ground turkey works fine as a substitute. Cook it to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and make sure there’s no pink remaining before adding the other ingredients — turkey produces less fat, so the broth will be slightly lighter in flavor.
Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?
You can, but brown the ground beef in a skillet first and drain the fat before transferring to the slow cooker — skipping that step leaves the broth greasy. Add the quinoa only in the last 30 to 45 minutes on high heat so it doesn’t overcook into mush.
If you liked this one
- Hearty Beef Kale Soup
- Spicy Beef Stuffed Peppers
- Hearty Beef Cauliflower Bake
- Olive Beef Polpette Perfection
