This Ratatouille Soup recipe with quinoa is a dieter’s dream. The recipe is quick to make, low calorie, gluten free and vegan, but packs also a lot of flavor and nutrients. While summer is ideal for making this fresh low calorie soup (under 100 calories per serving).
The vegetables used in preparing this quinoa soup recipe are available year round in good quality and reasonably priced.
Ratatouille Soup with Quinoa: A Nourishing Low Calorie Soup
With all the baking and such I’ve been doing lately, it seemed high time I made a lighter low calorie dish, so I whipped up this Ratatouille Soup for lunch today. This is a quick-cooking low calorie soup. 10 minutes to saute veggies and quinoa and 20 minutes simmering. It is packed with plenty of veggies, and is even gluten-free. I was satisfied with a bowl of this vegetable soup for lunch, but it would also pair wonderfully with a sandwich or as a dinner starter.
Low Calorie Soup
The soup features the vegetables common in traditional ratatouille, teamed with a some quinoa
which thickens the soup a little, making it a bit more substantial, but not dense. It is actually quite hearty, especially considering it’s a soup under 100 calories per serving.
If the appeal of this soup for you is that it is gluten free, try my Potato Leek soup as well.
How to Make Ratatouille Soup
Here is how to make this quick vegetarian low calorie soup with quinoa.
The recipe makes 10 servings.
Prep time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 40 Mins
Ingredients needed:
olive oil
eggplant
zucchini squash
sweet onion
garlic cloves
dry quinoa
bay leaves
thyme
vegetable stock or chicken broth
crushed tomatoes (canned)
jarred hot peppers or red pepper flakes
fresh basil leaves (to serve, optional)
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and toss in eggplant, zucchini and onion. Start to saute for about 2 minutes.
Add garlic to the pot, along with quinoa and herbs. Cook stirring frequently until vegetables and quinoa are lightly browned.
Pour in the broth. Add tomatoes and chopped hot peppers or red pepper flakes to the broth.
Bring to a rapid boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Ladle soup into bowls to serve and top with fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.
Variations
Options are limitless with soups, but here are a few change-ups and simple additions you may like.
Add a generous pinch of red pepper flakes before simmering to spice things up.
Try using lightly browned roasted vegetables rather than sautéing. They will add great flavor.
Try it with a tablespoon of Italian seasoning rather than the bay leaves and thyme.
Toss in some diced tomatoes along with the crushed.
If you are not vegetarian add a little meat to the soup.
For a low carb option swap the quinoa for cauliflower rice or Shirataki noodles.
Serving the Soup
This healthy soup pairs well with pretty much anything that vegetable or tomato soup does, such as grilled cheese or cheese toasts.
1 ½cupsdiced eggplantmost of the skin removed, but leave a little for color
1 ½cupsmedium zucchini squashquartered and sliced
2clovesgarlicminced
1 ½cupssweet onionchopped
½cupquinoa
3bay leaves
1 ½teaspoondry thyme leaves
6cupsof vegetable stocksubstitute chicken stock if you prefer
3cupsof crushed tomato
¼cuphot chopped peppersjarred
Instructions
Toss the eggplant, zucchini, and onion in oil. Then place in a preheated (med-high) dutch oven or soup pot.
Saute for about 2 minutes, then add garlic, quinoa and herbs. Saute until quinoa is golden brown and veggies have started to caramelize (about 8 more minutes).
Add the stock, then add tomatoes and peppers, stir.
Once it comes to a rapid boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer 20 minutes.
Serve with fresh chopped basil or grated cheese.
Notes
*nutrition information is estimated using the MyFitnessPal recipe calculator
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