Quinoa & Bean Soup

This is not your typical quinoa soup. Shiitake mushrooms, sauerkraut, sesame oil, and tamari create an umami-loaded base that’s somewhere between Eastern European and Japanese in flavor. The pureed beans thicken the broth into something hearty without any dairy or cream.

Dried shiitakes soak for an hour before cooking, and that soaking liquid is liquid gold. It goes right into the pot along with the sliced mushroom caps, adding a deep, savory backbone to the broth. Don’t skip this step and definitely don’t pour that water down the drain.

The sauerkraut is the surprise ingredient. Rinsed and drained, it adds a tangy, fermented edge that balances the richness of the sesame oil and mushrooms. It softens during the 30-minute simmer but keeps just enough bite to add texture.

Quinoa cooks directly in the soup, absorbing all those flavors as it goes. The pureed beans get stirred in at the end to thicken everything into a stew-like consistency.

Kitchen Tips

• Soak the shiitakes for a full hour. Short-changing this step means tough mushrooms and weak soaking liquid.
• Rinse the sauerkraut to remove excess brine. Without rinsing, the soup can turn overly salty and sour.
• Rinse the quinoa before adding. Unrinsed quinoa has a bitter coating (saponin) that will come through in the final soup.

Variations

• Miso addition: Stir in a tablespoon of white miso paste at the end (off heat) for even more umami depth.
• Pinto beans: The recipe notes pinto beans work as a swap for kidney beans.
• Add greens: Stir in chopped kale or bok choy in the last 5 minutes for color and extra nutrition.