Quick Quinoa Minestrone | Cook For Your Life

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Quick Quinoa Minestrone

Name: Quick Quinoa Minestrone
Prep time: 10
Cook time: 35

(7 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

10 min prep

8 servings

Carrot Icon for Number of Ingredients Size

15 ingredients

This quick-and-hearty recipe makes about one gallon of soup, so it’s an easy meal one-pot meal to feed 6 or more. If you are cooking for less than 6 people, you may want...

1 cup quinoa
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, cut into ¼ inch dice
1 cup leeks, white part only, sliced ¼ inch and washed well
1 cup celery, cut into ¼ inch dice
1 cup carrot, cut into ¼ inch dice
1 cup fennel, cut into ¼ inch dice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
1½ pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice (or 1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes)
2 bay leaves
8 cups vegetable broth (see Chef Tips)
1 pound of fresh or frozen green vegetables (see Chef Tips for suggestions)
1 cup mixed herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, and cilantro, chopped
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

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Nutrition Facts

Calories

263 cals

Fat

11 g

Saturated Fat

3 g

Polyunsaturated Fat

2 g

Monounsaturated Fat

6 g

Carbohydrates

32 g

Sugar

5 g

Fiber

8 g

Protein

10 g

Sodium

1118 mg

Directions

Put the quinoa into a bowl, cover with water and allow to soak 30 minutes.
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leeks, celery, carrot, and fennel, season with salt and pepper, and cook, until tender, for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the quinoa and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves and 4 cups broth, bring to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
When ready to serve, add the remaining broth, bring to a boil and then add the green vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, stir in the herbs and serve immediately. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated parmesan cheese.

Chef Tips

For a thicker soup, add less broth in the last step of this recipe. Start by adding 2 cups broth with the green vegetables, then add more broth to thin the soup only if needed.

For the one pound of green vegetables: Asparagus, peas, green beans, fava beans, zucchini, and spinach all work well in this soup. Whatever you choose, make sure that the vegetable is approximately bite-sized before adding to the soup. (So, if using a larger vegetable, cut it into ½-inch-sized pieces.)

Leftover soup can also be frozen. Transfer to plastic freezer bags, press out as much air as possible, seal, then lay flat to freeze. Frozen leftovers are best eaten within three months.

Registered Dietitian Approved

Our recipes, articles, and videos are reviewed by our oncology-trained dietitians to ensure that each is backed with scientific evidence and follows the guidelines set by the Oncology Nutrition for Clinical Practice, 2nd Ed., published by the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, a professional interest group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American Institute for Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society