READY IN ABOUT 2¾ hrs

White Bean Soup with Quinoa, Spinach, and Shiitakes

Read Reviews (7)

"This white bean soup focuses on a few simple flavors. It makes great leftovers." — NICEGIRL512

Directions

Place the cannellini beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans before using.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the mushrooms, and cook until they soften and begin to give up their juices, about 4 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the pot, and set aside. Heat the remaining tablespoon of canola oil in the pot, and stir in the sliced onions. Cook and stir until the onions have caramelized to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
Pour in the wine and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the drained beans, and enough water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in the cooked mushrooms and quinoa; continue cooking until the beans and the quinoa are tender, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the heat, and stir in the spinach leaves until wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 10 mins
COOK 1 hr 30 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 40 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Mar 15, 2010

This is 5 star if you take the other's suggestions along with mine! I used a vegetarian vegetable stock and used a Sage-Rosemary-Thyme herb combo. I used Coconut Oil instead of canola oil because it is better to heat since it does not oxidize as much as other oil at high temperatures. Skinny Bitch taught me that. I added some liquid smoke at the end as well as salt an pepper.

—hmihal

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jan 17, 2009

This is not a bad jumping off point, but from the start I could see it would be a little on the bland side. I substituted chicken stock for the water (vegetable stock would work just as well if you want to keep it vegetarian)added a good sized grind of fresh pepper (I use the peppercorn mix of black, red, pink and white), a generous clove of fresh garlic, a pinch of thyme, sea salt instead of table salt for seasoning, and it was nearly perfect. Since my husband and I are not vegetarians I added a tablespoon of chopped bacon to add a little rich smoky flavor and it was great. A scant 1/4 tsp of liquid smoke would work for vegetarians. Soups are all about layers of flavors to me, and while this recipe was a good base it needed some help to get to where I wanted it to be. P.S. this is my first experiment with quinoa, and I will definitely be using it again!

—Danielle Heiderich

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9 Ratings

Jul 18, 2008

I found the recipe as written a little bland. I used half broth and half water, and I would definitely substitute broth for the full amount of water next time. I would probably add some garlic at the beginning as well.

—Melissa Moo

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Dec 11, 2009

I agree w/ the other reviewers that this recipe as written is a bit bland. Garlic and fresh ground pepper really help, I also added some finely chopped celery and red bell pepper, and served with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If I make this again, I'll cook it in vegetable broth instead of plain water.

—rachycez

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Feb 16, 2011

I have to agree with other reviewers - this was a good "starter" recipe. I added 2 cloves of garlic to the onions, as well as the thyme, pepper and salt that was suggested. I used 3 cups of veggie broth and an extra splash of wine. I also put in about 1.5 tsp of Kitchen Bouquet to give it a bit more color/flavor. I paired with a salad and warm, fresh rye bread and we really enjoyed. Thanks so much for posting this.

—pause2shop.com

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Jan 23, 2009

An interesting combination of vegetables in this one, but it was nice and creamy.

—Chef4Six

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Nov 16, 2010

Very bland even after adding veggie broth, garlic, and vinegar. I love quinoa but just not in this recipe, sorry!

—Jennifer

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Nutrition

Calories
391 kcal
20%

Carbohydrates
62.6 g
20%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
6.6 g
10%

Fiber
2.9 g
11%

Protein
18.4 g
37%

Sodium
113 mg
5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

White Bean Soup with Quinoa, Spinach, and Shiitakes

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 391
Calories from Fat: 60

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6.6g 10 %
** Saturated Fat 0.5g 3 %
** Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 113mg 5 %
** Potassium 1434mg 40 %
Total Carbohydrates 62.6g 20 %
** Dietary Fiber 2.9g 11 %
Protein 18.4g 37 %
** Sugars 1.7g
Vitamin A 89 %
** Vitamin C 27 %
Calcium 18 %
Iron 65 %
** Thiamin 8 %
** Niacin 51 %
** Vitamin B6 13 %
** Magnesium 72 %
** Folate 69 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.