Hearty Quinoa Vegetable Soup
I’m a soup lover all-year-round. It’s brilliant! There are so many ways to create a delicious soup, loaded with a variety of different vegetables and seasonings. Soup warms my body and feeds my soul.
Have you ever included quinoa in your soup? The consistency, taste, and warmth it creates make it the perfect soup for the colder months. Quinoa is quite refined in a soup, and adds a delicious flavor, as well as protein. It is technically a seed, so if you want to enjoy a grainy dish that is low on the glycemic index (low in sugar), then quinoa is the way to go.
Mise En Place
Recipe – serves 6-8
-1 cup quinoa – wash and drain
-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
-1 large onion, diced
-1 medium turnip or kohlrabi – peeled and diced
-2 medium carrots, diced
-1 tsp kosher salt or Maldon Salt Flakes-½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-8 cups of water with vegetable or chicken broth
-2 tsp Herbamare seasoning
-2 medium zucchini, diced
-2 tsp dry oregano
-¼ tsp cayenne pepper
-Optional garnish: parsley or scallions
Instructions
Wash the quinoa, drain and set aside
Heat the oil in a large pan (4-5 quarts) over medium heat – do not overheat
Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes, stirring until softened
Add turnip and carrots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until the vegetables begin to soften
Season well with salt and pepper
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute
Add quinoa to pot
Add broth, zucchini, oregano, and cayenne
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer
Leave uncovered for 25-30 minutes until soup thickens
Divide among bowls, garnish, and enjoy!
Oregano adds a pungent, astringent, and peppery flavor
Genia’s Spoon Me Tips
Why do we serve soup first at a meal? Soup aids in the production of digestive juices in the stomach, which prepares the gut for the meal to follow. So have a little soup, but don’t fill up too much before the entrée.
A friendly reminder: season your soup towards the end of your cooking, since you can always add more later.
Much Love,
Genia