Vegetable Quinoa Soup

Ingredients

Quinoa – 2 cup, washed, rinsed well and drained

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Spanish Onion – 1/2 cup, finely chopped

Garlic cloves – 3, minced

Green beans- 1 cup, chopped

Carrot – 1 cup, chopped

Celery – 2 stalks, chopped

Mushrooms- 1/2 cup, chopped

Spinach- 1 cup, chopped

Cilantro-1/4 cup, chopped

Vegetable Bouillon cubes – 3 or 4 cups

Tomato – 3, blanched, chopped

Zucchini (green & yellow)– 1 cup, cubed

Cumin-1 tsp

Oregano-1 tsp

Chili powder 1 tsp (or to taste depending on how spicy you want it)

Salt and pepper – to taste

Kidney beans or White navy beans –1/2 cup

If using navy beans be sure to soak them overnight. If using kidney beans, use a can and rinse a 1/2 cup. Cook quinoa. Add 4 cups of water to 2 cups of quinoa in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir consistently until quinoa is fluffy. Simmer for 5 minutes and then remove it from the heat. In a small pot add tomatoes in boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes until the skin begins to peel. Take the tomatoes out of the pot and set aside for 2 minutes. Once cool, peel off the skin and chop. Set aside.

In a frying pan, add olive oil. Saute onion, garlic, and celery. Fill 3/4 of an extra large pot with water and add the 3-4 bouillons to the water. Add the cooked quinoa, tomatoes and kidney beans or cooked navy beans. Add the remaining spices: oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add chopped zucchini red, yellow and green peppers to the pan and saute and cover with a lid until vegetables are cooked. Add cooked veggies in frying pan to the extra large pot and cook on medium heat. Continue to stir until everything is cooked to the consistency you desire. Garnish with cilantro and serve.