This hearty vegetarian red cabbage quinoa stew is loaded with good for you vegetables that are sauteed with a hefty dose of anti-inflammatory turmeric and then finished with fresh lemon juice. It's zesty, warm, comforting, and delicious!
Why I love this cabbage stew
What you need for this recipe: lots of veggies!, quinoa, chickpeas, vegetable stock, canned tomato, spices.
I am pretty sure my favorite food is soup. I could eat it all day any day. It is very frequently my breakfast, and if you haven't tried soup for breakfast you are missing out!
This is my newest soup creation/ obsession. There is one HUGE star of this dish and it is, in my humble opinion the most underrated vegetable in the whole wide world.
Cabbage.
Red cabbage to be precise
OMG, have you had cabbage in soup? Because if not you need to get on that stat!
My mom has added a hunk of cabbage to her chicken soup forever and ever, “cabbage adds a little bit of sweetness” she says. If my Mom says it's so IT. IS. SO.
I had a huge gorgeous head of red cabbage just sitting in my fridge taunting me, I was craving vegetable soup, the rest is history.
One more cabbage anecdote before we get to this soup/stew situation (PSA – if you are one of those people that gets annoyed when food bloggers tell personal stories, don't read this)
I made my Mom's Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage this weekend for my father-in-law's birthday. I grew up on stuffed cabbage, we called it piggies (no idea why). Stuffed cabbage is my all time, makes me feel warm and cozy, comfort food. I would love to share the family recipe with you but my Mom is a little bit of a scrooge about sharing family recipes, I'm working on her.
I digress. I called Mom to have her talk me through the stuffed cabbage recipe. She got to the broth bit, add sugar. I groaned.
“Abra, if you want it to taste like shit then don't use sugar. If you want it to taste good, use sugar.”
So there you have it, folks, always listen to my Mom.
Mom says cabbage is a great addition to soups, so cabbage is, in fact, the star of this here soup. Also, when making her stuffed cabbage recipe, do what she says. K, now that's out of the way…
Let's get cooking!
How to Make Red Cabbage Quinoa Vegetable Stew
You are going to start with the classic soup starters: carrot, onion, celery, garlic. Saute in olive oil until tender.
Add turmeric.
Oh my goodness add some turmeric!
I happened to have fresh on hand so I simply grated a ton of fresh turmeric right into the veggies. If you don't have fresh, use ground turmeric, also add a generous pinch of both salt and pepper.
Once all of those veggies are super fragrant and tender, you can add sweet potato and red cabbage and the other spices.
Next up, tomato (fresh or canned), quinoa, vegetable stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Your stew will get thick and luscious, add chickpeas and baby kale or baby spinach, cook for 5 more minutes and you are done.
Well almost.
Don't forget the lemon juice!
Seriously, lemon is such a welcome surprise with this soup. Be generous. I add fresh lemon to the entire pot and more on each serving.
More Vegetarian Soup Recipes You Will Love
Can I Use a Different Grain Other Than Quinoa?
Yes, this soup would be great with barley, farro, or rice.
Can I Use Different Vegetables?
Absolutely, add in any vegetables that you love. This is one of those “everything but the kitchen sink” recipes.
A hearty delicious bowl of goodness. This red cabbage vegetable quinoa stew is sure to be a new family favorite!
If you make this recipe don't forget to tag me on Instagram with #AbrasKitchen
Questions about this recipe? Comment below, I love connecting with readers 🙂
Red Cabbage Vegetable Quinoa Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tsp freshly grated turmeric (or 2 tsp turmeric powder)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup sweet potato, diced (about 1 medium sweet potato)
- 1/2 small red cabbage, chopped
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 28 oz whole peeled tomato (canned)
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 1 can chickpeas (15 ounce can)
- 3 cups baby kale
- fresh lemon juice for serving
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium heat saute onion, celery, garlic, and carrot in olive oil for 5 minutes.
- Add fresh turmeric (or dried), sea salt, black pepper, oregano, bay leaves, sweet potato, and red cabbage. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock, tomato (I crush each whole tomato in my fist prior to adding it to the pot, alternatively you can use diced tomato), and water, stir well. Add quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add chickpeas and kale, simmer for 5 more minutes.
- Finish with 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice. Serve each bowl with additional lemon juice.
