World Wide Vegan

Although I just love soup I am hoping that I will be off my soft diet by tomorrow. The whether is warming up here and hot soup can be a little too much in the warmer months. Perhaps I'll post my famous Cold Raspberry Peach Soup later this spring when we need a little cooling down. But for now, I thought I would post my latest soup recipe - inspired by Naturally Delicious.

I've had a bag of whole grain, organic Quinoa (keen-wa) in my pantry for a couple of months that needed to be used. Because I hadn't used Quinoa before I wasn't sure what to do with it. But the soup I made last night was so good that I am putting it on my favorites list.

Tip: Quinoa is the most nutritious grain in the world. It is high in fiber as well as a good source of iron and it contains all 8 essential amino acids. This quick cooking grain was a staple for the ancient Incas in South America and it has a mild nutty flavor. I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Quinoa in this recipe because it has already been rinsed and is ready to use. You can order Bob's Red Mill Quinoa from the Vegan Mall listed the right side-column of this blog.

Toasted Quinoa Vegetable Soup

* 1 cup quinoa, (if not using Red Mill rinse well)
* 2 Tbs. water
* 2 onions, finely diced
* 3 carrots, finely diced
* 3 celery stalks, finely diced
* 2 zucchini, sliced in 1/2" quarters
* 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
* 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for seasoning
* 8 cups vegetable stock
* 2-3 cups water
* 2 cubes vegetable bullion
* 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
* Black pepper to taste

Heat a heavy skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and 2 Tbs. water and stir constantly for 6-8 minutes, or until the moisture evaporates and the quinoa crackles and becomes golden. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and set aside.

Water sauté the onions, carrots, and celery for 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the zucchini, corn, bell pepper, garlic, and two teaspoons of salt. Sauté three minutes longer, or until juices form.

Add the stock, water and bullion. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the toasted quinoa. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the quinoa is almost tender.

Add the tomatoes, cumin and coriander. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the quinoa is tender. Stir in the cilantro. Season the soup to taste with black pepper and more salt, if desired.

Serve warm with whole wheat rolls and fruit for a complete Spring supper.

Labels: nutrition, quinoa, soup, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian