This Southwestern White Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Soup is hearty, satisfying, and flavourful. Pair it with homemade cornbread and a fresh green salad for the perfect plant-powered meal.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. Soup? In June??? What has gotten into you, Allison?

But hear me out: This soup is just too good not to share, and we’ve happily enjoyed it in spite of the temperature outside. There’s something so summery about southwestern spice blends to me, and this one has a tantalizing combination of cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, cayenne, and oregano. It pairs beautifully with homemade cornbread and a salad of baby greens, or with bread and cheese. (Pictured with the soup is bread with tofu cream cheese and quick pickled radishes, the recipe for which I’ll be sharing next.)

how to make this southwestern bean, sweet potato, and quinoa soup

To make this soup, you’ll start by sauteeing some onion, garlic, and celery until browned. Then, add the spices, salt, pepper, sweet potato, white beans, quinoa, and vegetable broth. Simmer until the sweet potatoes and quinoa are fully cooked. Puree half of the soup, leaving the other half chunky for texture. Mix in some salsa verde and lime juice, and serve with some fresh cilantro, if desired.

health benefits of this soup

Quinoa contains all of the essential amino acids, making it an excellent source of plant-based protein.
Sweet potatoes are bursting with beta carotene, which is so important for eye health and immunity.
White beans are rich in folate. A ½ cup serving contains 127 mcg of this B vitamin that is not only essential for pregnant women and their babies, but also for the production of DNA and RNA, as well as in the creation of red blood cells!

overhead close up of a bowl of the southwestern bean sweet potato quinoa soup

more soup recipes

taking a break from social media…

I also wanted to let you folks know that I probably won’t be very active on social media–particularly Instagram–for awhile. I have a number of reasons, the primary one being that I need to focus my time and energy on real life relationships, goals, and pursuits. Life is short, and to me, it’s meant to be lived away from the screen as much as possible. And I’d also rather use my screen time wisely, reading long form content from trusted sources rather than posting to and scrolling through social media. I know that I may come across as selfish by saying so, and I apologize if you enjoyed my posts. I may return to Instagram eventually, but for now, the best way to stay in touch will be on my Facebook page, where I’ll continue to share new blog posts, as well as by visiting the blog directly.

I hope you love this southwestern white bean, quinoa, and sweet potato soup, and as I mentioned before, I’ll be back in a couple days to share that tofu cream cheese recipe!

Enjoy!

Southwestern White Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Soup

Author: Allison

Print Recipe

Description

Delicious and hearty vegan soup with southwestern spices, sweet potato, quinoa, and white beans.

Ingredients

Scale

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 ribs of celery, diced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano
Pinch of cayenne
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 heaping cups diced peeled sweet potato (from 2 medium sweet potatoes)
½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked white beans (navy, great northern, or cannellini)
6 cups vegetable broth
¼ cup salsa verde
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and celery. Cook, stirring often, until nicely browned, about 8 minutes. Add the spices, salt, and pepper. (I started with ½ teaspoon of salt and added more to taste at the end.) Cook for a minute more.
Next, add the sweet potato, quinoa, white beans, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then turn down to medium low and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the quinoa is cooked.
Puree half of the soup, leaving the other half chunky for texture. Stir in the salsa verde and lime juice right before serving. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro and additional salsa.