Quinoa Soup

I'm in love with leeks.

There. I said it.

I'd never tried one before until a few months ago when I made the VT's Beans and Brats recipe. And now I'm in love with them.

If they told me I was their baby daddy, I'd be ok with that, THAT'S how much I'm in love with them.

So I of course was a fan of this soup. Simple. Clean. Plush with tastiness. And flavored wonderfully with leeks.

Try it. You'll like leeks too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 c. uncooked quinoa


• 2 c. water


• 2 T. olive oil


• 1 yellow onion, chopped


• 1 carrot, julienned (or about 1/2-1 cups of shredded carrots from a bag)


• 1 leek, white part cut in half, rinsed and cut


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 1/2 - 1 red chili pepper (I couldn't find one, so I used 1 jalapeno, diced tiny)


• 1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes


• 4 c. vegetable stock


• salt and pepper to taste


• Green part of leek, finely chopped


• 1 15-oz can white beans, rinsed and drained


Other potential garnishes:


• 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley


• 2 tbsp grated lemon peel


Other potential variations:

(Add these to the soup, or use instead of something else. Don't want carrot? Or just feel like adding something else to the soup? These are great.)


• 1 big handful spinach leaves


• 1 red bell pepper, cut into small pieces

DIRECTIONS

Add quinoa and water together and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes and in the meantime prepare your vegetables. Peel and chop onion and garlic. Cut leek in half lenghtwise and rinse it. Chop up. Peel and julienne the carrot (if you're not using bagged carrot-shreds). (If using bell pepper cut it into small pieces).

When the quinoa has simmered for 5 minutes drain it.

Pour oil into a large soup pot and add the vegetables and garlic (if using spinach in the soup, don’t add it yet). Sauté for a few minutes and then add finely chopped red chili (or jalapeno), saute for another minute.

Add quinoa, the can of crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and has started opening. Add beans when there's about 5 minutes left in the cooking-cycle. (If using spinach add this in just a few minutes before taking the soup off the stove.)

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Put the green-leeks and any other garnish ingredients to a small bowl and sprinkle over the soup before you eat it.

(Original recipe from Veg Bitch)