Slow Cooker Tomato, Kale and Quinoa Soup
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Comforting, nourishing and healthy made in the crockpot. Even the quinoa gets cooked right in! 214.2 cal/serving.
It’s been pouring rain all week. And when it rains in Los Angeles, three things always happens.
1. We constantly talk about how it’s actually raining.
2. We begin to drive 20 miles below the speed limit.
3. We stay home, in our sweats, and eat soup.
I skipped out on the first two but I definitely took advantage of the third, crockpot-style, with loads of white beans, quinoa and kale in a tomato broth.
I mean, this has pretty much been my dinner all week long, with no complaints of course.
It’s pure comfort food without any of the guilt.
That’s something I can get on board with anytime.
Slow Cooker Tomato, Kale and Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
- 2 14.5-ounce cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
Instructions
- Place quinoa, tomatoes, beans, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in vegetable broth and 2 cups water until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours. Stir in kale until wilted.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
Here are my tweaks when I made this after reading other comments & making some adjustments of my own: double all the seasoning, only 1 cup water, 2 bouillon cubes, cooked the quinoa separately, browned chicken sausage, pan fried the kale so it was super crunchy. Served the soup with added quinoa, chicken sausage, crunchy kale on top. Then squeezed lemon on top, drizzled balsamic glaze and sprinkled Parmesan. It was SO good! My husband who is not a soup fan kept talking about this all night & how delish it was! My 2 year who won’t eat soup even tried it and ate a bunch 🙂
I was excited to find this recipe, as I could make it with things I already had in my kitchen! Only made a few really minor tweaks: (1) since I made in an instant pot, I did water-sauté the onions and garlic a bit first – and then did instant pot slow-cook mode, (2) I was low on quinoa, so I did a mix of quinoa AND brown lentils, and (3) skipped the salt & instead added a whole squeezed lemon at the end. Oh, and I used frozen instead of fresh kale, but that’s technically the same ingredient, so not sure if that counts as a tweak. Thanks for the delicious soup!!
What I like about this recipe is how versatile it is. It was really easy to tweak it to fit my family’s tastes. I sauteed the onions with bacon then added carrots and celery and extra garlic and herbs. I deglaze the pan with about a half a cup of white wine, tossed everything else into the pot with a rind from parmesan cheese and substituted the quinoa for lentils. It was a hit!
I would suggest sautéing the onion and garlic first. The onion in my soup still had that “raw” taste which I don’t want in soup.
Followed this and came out delicious!
I made this soup exactly as the recipe said with one exception. I held the Kale out. I did this so it could be frozen. It freezers perfectly! Easily defrost in the Microwave as well as heats up. We add the kale at the end of reheating and let it wilt. Its soooo delicious!!! almost always have a batch in the freezer!
I made this exactly to the recipe and found it a little bit bland. I squeezed a dash of lemon into my bowl, and that helped a lot, so added lemon to the remaining servings, too. Next time, I want to add some more protein, maybe some browned ground turkey or chicken sausage for flavor. I think some additional veggies wouldn’t hurt either. The best part about this is how versatile it is. Can add or take away ingredients as needed.
I made this tonight and thought it was delish. I had to use diced tomatoes with peppers as the store was out of the plain diced tomatoes. I think it worked out for the best, as the peppers gave it a bit more flavor. I had a question about leftovers, has anyone froze them?
This was easy and tasted great. We added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and some browned Italian sausage. Otherwise, made as directed and it worked well.
This recipe is easy to make and so so good! I cooked it on high for 3 hours and the quinoa was perfect. The soup was very flavorful, although I might add a little extra of the herbs next time. I added in some red pepper flakes at the end and it really made the meal.
Hey! Not sure if you’re aware but this recipe along with another one of yours was featured on MSN:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/quickandeasy/65-healthy-slow-cooker-recipes-that-will-rock-your-crock-pot/ss-BBRGGN7?li=BBnb7Kz#image=17
I don’t usually recognize the sites they featured and I was thrilled when I saw yours twice as I’m a frequent visitor. Just thought you’d like to know!
Yum! Made it tonight with the following additions: extra clove of garlic, carrots, more onion, and when done drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with nutritional yeast. It was a hit with my vegetarian family! A big crusty loaf of bread, and some red wine – we were happy!
I doubled it, but did not double the quinoa or beans so I could get the texture I wanted. Also added diced celery and orange bell pepper and sautéed all the veggies in olive oil first. I also used bouillon cubes instead of prepared broth bc the soups with bouillon taste richer to me. Doubling the herbs and garlic further enhanced the flavor.
Was excited to have a recipe with simple ingredients and a variety of spices to make for the week. I agree with other reviewers, I didn’t think there was enough flavor with the current serving. If I made this again, would consider doubling the spices and considering what other ingredients may add more flavor such as carrot, celery, sauteed onion, or something else.
I made this soup exactly as written. I also used all fresh herbs and kale from my garden. It was delicious and my husband liked it as well. It was somewhat bland, so next time I will add a few things as mentioned by other reviewers. Will definitely make again and play with it a bit.
Love this soup! Perfect for a rainy spring day, also made it for a pot luck and it was a big hit! I used Trader Joe’s fire roasted tomatoes with chilies, added extra garlic, and used hearty vegetable broth. Very tasty!
I loved this. I omitted the beans and added ground turkey, carrots, and beef broth and bone broth for more taste. This would be a great start. It’s so customizable you can add or take away whatever you like! Thank you for this. I haven’t cooked with the slow cooker in so long and I’m so glad I tried this! I’m actually running out this afternoon for more ingredients to make it again tomorrow!!!
This was perfect for meatless Monday and a snowy day! Our store had some beautiful purple kale I HAD to buy, so I searched kale recipes and came up with this one! Only differences, I added some carrots and celery, sauteed them along with the onions and garlic before starting my slow cooker. Also found just parmesan rinds at the store, so I added a small piece half way through (forgot I had it). Last, anytime I add uncooked pasta to cook in soups, it doesn’t come out right, so I didn’t add the water or quinoa, cooked the quinoa separately and added to the slow cooker right before serving. That eliminates any broth or under/over cooked issues. Topped with a little grated parmesan. Delicious!
This recipe looks good and has a good flavor, but it is SO BLAND! I am trying to figure out how to spiff it up so that it won’t be so bland.
Jazzy, a little salt might be the only fix you need. Before adding more spices or seasonings, try just adding a teaspoon or a healthy three-fingered pinch of salt. Taste again and see if the flavors have improved. Adding salt reduces bitterness, which allows the aromas and tastes of the other ingredients to shine through.
This was so good. I made it exactly as written, and it was delicious. I probably added about a tablespoon of salt, which maybe would help those that thought it was bland. I did add some chicken apple sausage which was a nice addition. Thanks so much for a delicious, healthy, and easy meal!
This recipe has potential…Something is missing, just not sure. It’s unfortunately a little too bland for my liking. I will work on finding the perfect spice to balance it out. Then maybe adding cooked quinoa at the end bc it was too mushy!
Loved it.
I sauted the onion, Celtic sea salt, pepper and garlic, in the slow cooker. Added the rest of the ingredients, plus a can of red kidney beans, and chilli powder to our taste. My teaspoons of crushed garlic were large and my herbs were well rounded. Two additional cups of vege broth were added a few hours later, I used baby spinach instead of kale and added frozen green beans. As soon as the green beans were just ready, I served it out. It was warm and hearty on this wet and cool day. Definitely make again. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing with us! Sounds so yummy!
Hi! how would I prepare this if I do not have a slow cooker? Thanks
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
I used this recipe as a base and turned it into a kind of chili! Added 1 lb ground turkey, 1 can black beans, and about 1-1.5 cups each of carrots and celery. Love it with the kale!
What a great idea!
On the stove right now, I didn’t have time to crockpot so I used my cast iron 6 quart and the aroma is amazing so far!!! I sautéed the onions and garlic first then added the rest, saving the kale for last. I am going to serve some baked buffalo ranch chicken wings with this for my athletes but this is alone is a meal for me! Thank you.
That’s great!
Tried this recipe. It was excellent!!! Thanks!
Our pleasure Suzanne! Glad you liked it.
This has been a staple in my house for a couple of years. It’s delicious…I do tweak it a bit. It was too thick for my taste, so I added another carton of broth, I also add parmesan rind (always keep them in my freezer) for extra flavor, and when it’s done, I make sure it has plenty of salt by tasting and add a few squirts of hot sauce or sriracha. My family loves it.
Thank you for the recipe. ♡
Disappointed, didn’t like it at all. Very bland. Recipe could use some work to build flavors but not sure it’s worth it.
I made this recipe and it turned out great! How long will leftovers last in the fridge?
As I am not an expert on food safety, I cannot really say with certainty – sorry, Kerrie! Methods for optimal food storage and shelf life should be based on good judgment and what you are personally comfortable with.
I made this soup after reading all the reviews. The only thing I did differently so that it wouldn’t be bland was added more seasoning beforehand. My quinoa didn’t get mushy, but could be due to the fact I had about a cup of chicken broth leftover that I wanted to use up so I added that in addition to the other liquid mentioned. It was great.
I made this for dinner tonight and followed the recipe exactly. The quinoa was so thick and over cooked so the soup was like mush. Unfortunately I had to throw it away I couldn’t stomach it. Any idea why that happened? It was on low in the crockpot for only 6 hours when I tasted it. Help!
Oh no – what a bummer! What size slow cooker did you use?
I made this last night! My husband doesn’t like kale, but he loved the taste of the soup so much that he ate it all, anyway. The kids were a mixed bag… 12 year old liked it, 11 year old didn’t, 4 year old soaked up all the broth with bread. 🙂
I made it on the stove, and the measurements I used were quite wishy-washy, as I live in Europe and was far too lazy to do the conversions. I did not find it too thick like some others mentioned. Definitely a hearty soup, but still a nice amount of broth for bread dipping. Would definitely make this again!
Yum yum. I made this soup this morning in my crockpot. I used fresh tomatoes from my garden. I blanched them first and then peeled the skin and squeezed tomatoes into the crockpot. I also used Swiss chard from the garden instead of kale and I added it right from the start. Added the spices plus a whole hot pepper and a chunk of ginger for flavour and then took them out with the bay leaves at the end. I added the liquids turned it on low and 7 hours later it was perfect. Next time though I would maybe add a chopped carrot and celery and bell pepper. Delicious healthy soup.
Could you make this with chicken breasts? If so, would you just put them raw in the crock pot?
Could you substitute couscous in place of the quinoa (not a fan :\)? Thanks! 🙂
Yes, of course!
The recipe just calls for a bunch of kale. Is that probably equivalent to one of the regular sized prewashed bags?
It’s hard to say – the bags can vary in size.
I made this, following directions verbatim except for doubling all the spices. I did not have any issues with quinoa mush or veggies not being cooked. All was cooked in about 7 hours. I think it needs some more spices added (salt and pepper at the least, maybe more) but I think it will be good!
Can this be done in an instant pot?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Very bland, too much quinoa and kale. I added half the kale and the ratio was still off.
After its cooked, could it be frozen? I’ve never tried to freeze anything after cooking. Any tips?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Hi Nicole,
I made this for lunch last week and it waa just as yummy on Fri as it was on Monday! The kale does get a little mushy, which didn’t bother me but something to consider if you freeze. Perhaps you could freeze it without the kale and add it after you heat up the frozen soup?
I accidentally put in a 1/2 t of all the seasonings but still really enjoyed the flavor. Just put it in the crockpot for this week and did the same thing – on purpose this time .
This is the perfect healthy, comfort food lunch for these dreary Michigan January days!
the quinoa is soaking up a lot of the liquid. i think i shouldve used half. still waiting for it to finish. my slow cooker sure is slow!
Unfortunately this was not a hit in our house. The onions even after 8 hours on low never lost their raw texture and flavor. It overpowered the soup.
I don’t understand what went wrong but I won’t be making this again.
I had the same problem, and it ended up hurting my stomach! Instead of throwing the soup out, I took out the onions by hand, and cooked them separately with some Italian sausage before I put them back in. I also had to add double the broth. This soup was a miss for me. Still love Damn Delicious though!
I made this yesterday exactly per the recipe and it came out very thick and somewhat of a sticky consistency. I’m going to try and add more broth and perhaps some chicken so I can enjoy it. Wouldn’t make again, unfortunately…
The basic ingredients are good. I followed the recipe to the letter but i found the soup somewhat bland. To perk it up i added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. And served with garlic bread and a salad. The soup balanced the strong flavor of the garlic bread.
This recipe is great and easy! Thank you!
I’ve made this soup before seeing this recipe. I did it on the stove top and also freeze the leftovers. It was perfect. Very rich and hearty. I used less kale and 1 cup quinoa with 6 cups of vegetable broth. Very delicious and fulfilling.
I just made this. Cooling off right now. I should not have read about everybody crying about needing more water. Because of this, I added 2 extra cups water and ended up with very watery soup. I threw half a box of whole wheat pasta in to get rid of all the “extra” water. I did add 8 oz. of sauted portabella mushrooms to it and 1 sliced up yellow squash. The aroma is fantastic!
Thank you for the recipe.
This came out delicious! Had to scale it a little for my 4 qt cooker and wished I had a 6 qt as soon as I tasted it. 😀
My husband is a diabetic 1, so he has to have his protein for dinner, it can be linguimes hoped i spelled in right. Or any other protein, like beef, chicken, pork, fish. even smoked sausage which he loves. any suggestion on what i can use cuz it looks yummy
You can use any of the above-mentioned ingredients.
I made this last night so I’d have lunches this week, and with the plan of saving half. I made it exactly was written. There was barely any liquid left at the end, it was a very thick “mush”. I had to add another 3 cups of broth. It was also extremely bland. For those thinking of making this, I’d recommend no more than a 1/2c of quinoa and a bunch more seasonings.
Jen, thank you for trying my recipe! But by adding 3 cups additional broth, the seasonings will have to be adjusted accordingly. Perhaps too much kale was used?
Thanks for the suggestion. I did add additional seasonings to make up for it, and then some. I’m a pretty experienced cook, recipe creator and reviewer, so I always make sure to measure exactly and make recipes as written initially so I can review fairly. And I taste throughout the process to see how flavors are developing. We can’t love them all. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I made this for my lunches this week to eat healthier at work! I substituted spinach and garbanzo beans and ended up having to double the veggie broth because barely any was left to call this a soup.
Can I substitute jasmine rice instead of the quinoa?
Yes, absolutely.
Great recipe! How much more water or vegetable broth should I add if I am adding dried beans? Thank you!
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
I read all the directions and when the soup is almost done, you add in the kale, stir, and wait for it to wilt and then serve it. If you add it in at the end, why is there a picture of the kale all prepped in the crockpot in the beginning?
Katie, that is simply a picture of the kale being added in.
Would this be good with Italian sausage? If so, when would I add it?
Cathy, you can add cooked, crumbled sausage with the rest of the ingredients in the beginning.
I made this and can’t wait to try it!
What is the serving size?
About 2 cups.
I would sub low fat chicken broth and add a smoked ham hock for flavor. Can I used dried beans instead of canned?? I love my six quart crock pot as it hold and cook a whole chicken (rubbed with paprika and other spices, stuffed with half an onion, half a lemon and garlic, over lots of chopped veggies on low for eight hours).
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Not a fan of canned items with BPA and all, can I substitute with fresh tomatoes and dried beans? Add more liquid? Looks yummy, can’t wait to try!
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Katherine did you try it with the fresh ingredients? If so, how did it turn out?
Katherine I’m making it with fresh tomatoes and dried beans now… I think this is a recipe you could easily make several substitutions to and it’ll turn out well
not a fan of Kale no matter how hard I try, can i substitute spinach?
Yes, absolutely.
My slow cooker is only 4 quarts. Can this recipe be halved easily, or do you think it would still fit in the smaller sized cooker?
Yes, this recipe can be halved.
Do I need to halve it for a 4 quart slow cooker or will it still fit?
You may have to adjust the recipe as needed to ensure that it fits in a smaller slow cooker.
Made this on Sunday for lunches this week and it’s DELICIOUS!!!! So hearty, warm and scrumptious! Definitely a “keeper” recipe! Thank you!
I tried this last night! Very good!!
My modifications:
I added 2 chicken breasts that I seasoned w/ salt and pepper and seared for about 2 minutes on each side (I would cut them up next time because they didn’t break up the way a chicken thigh would’ve)
Only did about a half cup of quinoa (1 cup would’ve been way too much for me)
Since I cooked it last night, I added the kale after it had cooked down and turned the crock off after it wilted some. I am currently having it for lunch and the kale is still nice and crisp
I added a little red pepper (but clearly not enough as I have very minimal spice)
No onions
This recipe is definitely on the bland side but I was afraid to add too much salt so I added a little into the pot and again in my individual bowl. The herbs give good flavor but the salt is so necessary. If you cannot/do not eat salt, I would go for a saltless seasoning.
I really wanted to add garbanzo beans as well but I didn’t have room in my crockpot.. next time!
This soup is super customizable, I will definitely make it again!!
What is the serving size?
Each serving can range from 1-2 cups.
This looks amazing. I love utilizing the slow cooker for dinner. And we’re all about soups in this cold winter weather.
Yum!
What is the variation to the recipe to make it without the slow cooker?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on how to adapt this recipe without a slow cooker. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide. Hope that helps!
Hi – can I freeze this soup?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I would think so since it is a soup,
Yes I froze portions of mine and enjoyed them weeks later!
Even with the kale?
Yes all the ingredients are freezer friendly.
Yay for kale and fiber 🙂 Looking forward to trying this. It’s been freezing cold here and we had out first real snow. That requires some soup, for sure!
do you think it would be easy to add some boneless/skinless chicken breast? Would it cook in time?
Yes, absolutely.
Do you think you could use garbanzo beans instead of northern beans? That what we have in the pantry right now.
Yes, absolutely.
This was really good but I needed to double the soup and tomatoes bc the quinoa soaked up the liquid. -it could have been bc I was following pics and not directions that said put kale in at end- but unlikely as kale is pretty watery. But it was great and I’ll make again. Served w parm on top
I had the same exact problem. It came out WAY too thick. I ended up having to add an additional 2-3 cups liquid.
I know I should invest in a slow cooker, but would anyone know how I would make this on the stove? Thank you.
Cooking in a slow cooker is no different than cooking out of a pot. Just put all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer for an hour. Add the kale and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Thank you.
Looks yummy and good for you. Will be trying this out soon
I think I found my work lunches for next week! 😀