This dish has become somewhat of a staple in the house as of recent months not only due to its taste and nutritional value but the versatility of the dish. It can be used for vegetarians, vegans and carnivores! The shopping list is slightly long but most at home cooks should have no problem finding these ingredients at the store or in your fridge at home already. Here goes!
Toasted Quinoa and Veggie Soup
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked Quinoa(can be white or multi colored)
3-4 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced white onion
1/3 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
6 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/4 cup russet potato diced
1/4 cup diced sweet potato(yam)
1/4 cup diced celery root
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup thinly sliced Brussels sprouts(optional for intestinal reasons lol)
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Spread quinoa in a very thing layer on a pan or baking sheet and bake in the oven until brown for about 20-30 mins. Every 7 mins stir the quinoa or shake the pan to make sure than the quinoa is toasting evenly. You are "browning" the quinoa in this step NOT burning. A nice light brown is the goal here.
3. Heat a large stock pot over medium and add the oil, onions, carrots, bell peppers and garlic * Cover and cook for about 8-10 mins or until the veggies are tender and be sure to stir occasionally.
4. When veggies are tender, uncover and add the rosemary and cumin stirring constantly for 1 minute.
5. Stir in stock, both potatoes, celery root and toasted quinoa and bring everything to a boil.
6. Once at a boil, cover and reduce heat to a medium for about 10-12 minutes.
7. Stir in zucchini and brussels sprouts and cook until they are tender and quinoa is cooked. About 2-4 mins.
8. Stir in parsley and add any needed salt to your liking.
Notes
This is a hearty flavored soup so feel free to add sliced cooked chicken or steak to this. Lamb and other "gamey" meats I would suggest doing a small sample of before you add it to the soup because of their very distinct flavors.
Brussels sprouts are very optional here for 3 reasons. 1. Bloat and gas...pretty self explanatory here lol. 2. The sprouts may have a soggy feeling to them after a day or so in the fridge. 3. The sprouts take up quite a bit of the serving portion because they "fall apart and expand" when cooked. With these things said, the sprouts do add a nice flavor to the soup but if made without them, the soup is just as good and I actually prefer without sprouts.
If you want vegan/vegetarian, replace chicken stock with any veggie stock
ALWAYS EXTRA VIRGIN GREEK OLIVE OIL and you want one that has the least amount of bitterness to both smell and taste. YES you can smell bitterness and its especially noticeable in cheap olive oil or some of the "blended Mediterranean extra virgin ones". You want to smell a smooth, rich, creamy oil. The oil I use almost 100% of the time unless baking is Olga Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil "First Cold Pressing"....example is here ---> https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Virgin-Olive-oil-Olga/dp/B019X36TBS
Toasted Quinoa and Veggie Soup
Ingredients
1 cup uncooked Quinoa(can be white or multi colored)
3-4 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced white onion
1/3 cup diced carrots
1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
6 cups unsalted chicken stock
1/4 cup russet potato diced
1/4 cup diced sweet potato(yam)
1/4 cup diced celery root
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1/2 cup thinly sliced Brussels sprouts(optional for intestinal reasons lol)
1/4 cup roughly chopped parsley
salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Spread quinoa in a very thing layer on a pan or baking sheet and bake in the oven until brown for about 20-30 mins. Every 7 mins stir the quinoa or shake the pan to make sure than the quinoa is toasting evenly. You are "browning" the quinoa in this step NOT burning. A nice light brown is the goal here.
3. Heat a large stock pot over medium and add the oil, onions, carrots, bell peppers and garlic * Cover and cook for about 8-10 mins or until the veggies are tender and be sure to stir occasionally.
4. When veggies are tender, uncover and add the rosemary and cumin stirring constantly for 1 minute.
5. Stir in stock, both potatoes, celery root and toasted quinoa and bring everything to a boil.
6. Once at a boil, cover and reduce heat to a medium for about 10-12 minutes.
7. Stir in zucchini and brussels sprouts and cook until they are tender and quinoa is cooked. About 2-4 mins.
8. Stir in parsley and add any needed salt to your liking.
Notes
This is a hearty flavored soup so feel free to add sliced cooked chicken or steak to this. Lamb and other "gamey" meats I would suggest doing a small sample of before you add it to the soup because of their very distinct flavors.
Brussels sprouts are very optional here for 3 reasons. 1. Bloat and gas...pretty self explanatory here lol. 2. The sprouts may have a soggy feeling to them after a day or so in the fridge. 3. The sprouts take up quite a bit of the serving portion because they "fall apart and expand" when cooked. With these things said, the sprouts do add a nice flavor to the soup but if made without them, the soup is just as good and I actually prefer without sprouts.
If you want vegan/vegetarian, replace chicken stock with any veggie stock
ALWAYS EXTRA VIRGIN GREEK OLIVE OIL and you want one that has the least amount of bitterness to both smell and taste. YES you can smell bitterness and its especially noticeable in cheap olive oil or some of the "blended Mediterranean extra virgin ones". You want to smell a smooth, rich, creamy oil. The oil I use almost 100% of the time unless baking is Olga Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil "First Cold Pressing"....example is here ---> https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Virgin-Olive-oil-Olga/dp/B019X36TBS