Creamy vegan Sweet Potato and Quinoa Stew with white beans and spinach is a belly-warming plant-based meal. This delicious, comforting soup is packed with nutrients and super easy to make!
I originally posted this recipe back in February of 2014, when my photography skills were shaky at best, and I wrote about everything but the actual recipe at hand.
Inspired by this Sweet Potato Quinoa Stew with White Beans and Spinach from Dishing up the Dirt, I made a few changes, but let me just tell you…this stew is GOLD.
When I first tried it, I was very pleasantly surprised by how cozy it was, and I continued making it over and over throughout the rest of winter (addictive personality alert).
One of my good friend’s mothers has made this recipe countless times over the years, and everyone who has tried it sings rave reviews.
Because this creamy dreamy stew is just so comforting and nutritious, I knew I needed to re-make and re-photograph it and bring the recipe forward again for all of us to enjoy.
This plant-based soup is so luxurious with coconut milk, and is packed with nutrients on account of the veggies and quinoa. It comes together quickly (less than 40 minutes!), and requires very little effort to make.
The perfect soup to keep you feeling full and satisfied on any cold day or evening!
Plus, it’s vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients for Sweet Potato & Quinoa Stew:
Onion & Garlic
Sweet Potato
White Beans
Quinoa
Vegetable Broth
Coconut Milk
Spinach
Sea salt
This combination of goodies results in a light yet filling meal, loaded with yummy texture and flavor.
I like squeezing a bit of fresh lime juice into my bowl for a little acidity, but the flavor is absolute perfection as is.
If you prefer rice over quinoa, feel free to swap it out! Wild rice is lovely in this soup.
Do note that this soup thickens up after it sits for a few hours, as the quinoa continues to absorb liquid. In this sense, I like it even more the day after I make it.
Amazing for meal prep, this easy stew is great to make ahead of time and can easily be doubled to tripled to feed more people (the recipe as written yields 4 generous servings or 6 smaller servings).
How to Make Sweet Potato and Quinoa Stew:
Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and quinoa and sauté for another 3 minutes.
Add the chopped sweet potato, white beans, vegetables broth, and sea salt and bring the soup to a full boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato and quinoa is cooked through.
Stir in the coconut milk and spinach and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the soup is heated through.
Taste the stew for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
Serve stew in large bowls and enjoy! If you’d like, squeeze some fresh lime juice into the soup for a little acidity.
I hope you enjoy this timeless recipe as much as I do!
More Healthy Soup Recipes:
- Vegetable Coconut Curry Soup
- Creamy Carrot Soup
- Vegan Corn Chowder
- Immunity-Bosting Turmeric Soup with Vegetables
- Crock Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili
Slurp!
Sweet Potato and Quinoa Stew
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil or coconut oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa**
- 1 large sweet potato diced
- 1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock***
- 1 15-ounce can white beans*
- 4 cups spinach
- 1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large thick-bottomed pot (I use my Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and quinoa and sauté for another 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped sweet potato, white beans, vegetables broth, and sea salt and bring the soup to a full boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato and quinoa is cooked through.
- Stir in the coconut milk and spinach and continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the soup is heated through.
- Taste the stew for flavor and add more sea salt to taste.
- Serve stew in large bowls and enjoy! If you'd like, squeeze fresh lemon juice into your bowl of soup for a citrusy counterbalance to the otherwise sweet and creamy soup.
- Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Note that the soup will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
What? Spinach instead of kale? Yum. You know what my one beef about sweet potatoes is? They are incredibly hard to cut up into cubes. Or, maybe that’s just me. I put a sweet potato in my pot pie I instagrammed (how do you spell that?) the other day and had a terrible time getting those cubes even. Worst Chef in America (or whatever that show is called) would have a hey day with me and my chopping skills. Damn them. I’ll stick to pies. Where was this going? Oh, yes. Making this soup and soon!!
You just gave me a great idea for a blog post! I’ve been thinking for a while about doing a tutorial on how to chop sweet taters into cubes and I think I may just do it.. Sweet taters, beets, turnips…all that round/tubular stuff can be chopped the same way. HMM! GREAT idea, Julie! I’ve been pretty worn out on kale (surprised?), so I welcomed the spinach with open arms. YOU WILL LOVE THIS SOUP! Andrea did an amazing job…as always. 🙂 <3 Hope your week is going well so far!!
Hey, it’s almost over, so that’s fine with me. We even had a teeny tiny warm up (like up to 33 degrees, so it’s like a heat wave and people are wearing shorts and stuff). It’s that the sweet potatoes are so hard…much harder than regular potatoes and I’m pretty dangerous with sharp knifes (you wouldn’t believe the scars on my hands). I think that would be a great tutorial. Hope your weekend goes well. Been thinking about you….
You just made me click a million links and now I can’t anything done! Thanks. 😉
I agree, I can’t get enough of Andrea’s food either. It’s always so wholesome yet insanely delicious. I can’t wait to give this soup a try too!
Haha! I get so lost (or so found) on the Huffington Post…and have been doing waaaay too much online shopping. Is it obvious? So glad you love Andrea’s work too. That girl slaps me silly with her awesomeness! <3
I made your black bean, quinoa, and sweet potato chili last night and it was beyond wonderful. I really enjoyed the 2 chipotle peppers, but I think I’ll keep it to one when I make it for my family. Also purchased your new book for my sister and she loves it: perfect snowy day present. xoxo
OH GREAT! I’m so glad! I love that chili and can definitely see keeping it on the milder side when serving it to youngsters and/or folks who aren’t super into spicy food. Meaty chilis are totally my jam, but I think I like that sweet potato and quinoa chili even better 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, my dear!
I’ve been loving green tea lately too! Can’t get enough. I’m thinking a cup of green tea and that book would make a perfectly relaxing morning this weekend!
Love the coconut milk in this soup – I cold eat this – even if it wasn’t frigid outside!
love your blog and recipes and now LOVE you even more for “queen of my doublewide trailer”. Made my husband watch the video just last week while I sang along to every last word. Now he is sure I am the ONE!
No oxidants in your body = LOL. You crack me up. Though that green tea latte you make sounds amazing. And this stew: IWANTTHAT.
This soup looks delicious! I love how you added quinoa to it. I haven’t seen many soups with quinoa in it. Pinned to make. 🙂
Some well-deserved love there, that cookbook is AMAZING! This stew looks like a winner too, love Andreas recipes 🙂
Ohhh, now I know this would warm me to the bone! Love those hearty, healthy flavors!
G’day! I have never cooked with quinoa before, true!
Your soup and photo looks very warm and inviting to make too!
Cheers! Joanne
I feel this strong compulsion to put that infographic on our wall! LIke, things to live by if we want a happy marriage. 😛
This STEW. I feel an obsession coming on.
That green tea latte sounds perfect. Who knew The Huff Post could get down and dirty. Yay for this warm soup. My bones are cold…real cold.
Please please please share you green tea latte recipe. That sounds so delicious.
Funny you mention it, I’ve been wanting to share a green tea/matcha latte on my blog. I think I’ll just have to do it now!! Thanks!
OMG Huff Post and Buzzfeed…. I cannot live without them. Well, I am sure I could and would probably be more productive in the long run but where is the fun in that?!?!? OH this soup!!! Looks glorious! I want to dive right in!
This looks sooo comforting!! I like those Huffington Post articles. I read the one about being single. Huffington Post can be SO good -informative but also entertaining. 😀 I am bookmarking this stew for later! Happy Valentine’s Day! 🙂
I love all of the links you have me clicking on lady! So happy my soup made the blog too!!! You rule!!
THIS sings to my soul. Looks totally delicious Julia!
Well, it is snowing….again. This is a NEED! Thinking tomorrow!
Yum, this soup looks soooo good!
I love sweet potato and quinoa 🙂
Full fat coconut milk?? Unsweetened?? Hope this doesn’t sound stupid…. Learning 🙂
Hi Janie, You can get full-fat canned coconut milk in the ethnic section of your grocery store. I typically buy Thai brand, which comes in a red can. It’s not sweetened, just straight coconut milk 🙂 Hope you try the recipe, it’s lovely!!
I am allergic to anything coconut! Could I substitute heavy cream or cashew milk for the full fat coconut milk?
Hi Cindy!
Yes, absolutely! Heavy cream or half & half will work as a replacement. Hope you enjoy! xo
@Julia, Thank you for your response! It is going to be very cold where I live over the weekend so I am looking forward to making this!
Omigod, just made this soup and it’s friggin’ amazing! Thanks so much, love it!
This makes my day! I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for the sweet note! 🙂 xoxo