2013 has been declared the International Year of Quinoa so here is a quinoa based recipe for the New Year. The first time I made this version of the traditional Italian soup minestrone. The vegetables did not cook properly, the broth lacked flavour, the greens were bitter and the quinoa gave it an unpleasant texture. The next time I did not have all the vegetables needed for the common version of minestrone. I substituted some parsnip for the celery and used a larger amount of onion since I only had little garlic. I also cooked the quinoa separately and added it afterwards to the soup and also added the greens towards the end to avoid a bitter taste. The result was a tasty and satisfying stew, which is a meal in itself.
Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
400 g tomatoes, finely chopped (it is better to use canned tomatoes or add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree if you cannot find sweet, juicy tomatoes since tomatoes are an integral part of the soup)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 parsnip, finely chopped (if you prefer substitute two sticks of celery)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Two handfuls of green leaves of your choice, finely shredded (I used half each of kale and spinach)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 crushed dried red chilli (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon each:
Dried mixed italian herbs
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cook the quinoa according to directions on the packaging. Drain if necessary when cooked and keep aside. Usually you need to add the quinoa to twice its volume (here 2/3 cup) of boiling water in a pan, allow it to return to the boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer for about 15 mins.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, parsnip carrot, dried chilli and half of the dried herbs. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Add about 750ml/3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 10 mins. Add the quinoa and the rest of the dried herbs and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables, particularly the carrot and parsnip, are soft. If you are using any tough greens like kale, chard, collards or cabbage, add them now and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are tender. Then stir in tender greens like spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Ingredients
1/3 cup quinoa
400 g tomatoes, finely chopped (it is better to use canned tomatoes or add 3-4 tablespoons of tomato puree if you cannot find sweet, juicy tomatoes since tomatoes are an integral part of the soup)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 parsnip, finely chopped (if you prefer substitute two sticks of celery)
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Two handfuls of green leaves of your choice, finely shredded (I used half each of kale and spinach)
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 crushed dried red chilli (or a pinch of dried chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon each:
Dried mixed italian herbs
Dried rosemary
Dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Cook the quinoa according to directions on the packaging. Drain if necessary when cooked and keep aside. Usually you need to add the quinoa to twice its volume (here 2/3 cup) of boiling water in a pan, allow it to return to the boil, lower the heat and cover and simmer for about 15 mins.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion, garlic, parsnip carrot, dried chilli and half of the dried herbs. Saute for about 10 minutes until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft and juicy. Add about 750ml/3 cups of water, bring to the boil and simmer, covered for about 10 mins. Add the quinoa and the rest of the dried herbs and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables, particularly the carrot and parsnip, are soft. If you are using any tough greens like kale, chard, collards or cabbage, add them now and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the greens are tender. Then stir in tender greens like spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they have wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
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