Kicking Off Fall with a Simple Soup.

It's not technically fall, but the mornings are getting cooler and occasionally I get that wisp of crisp fall air.  I welcomed in the season with a homemade pot of Ecuadorian Quinoa Soup (recipe below). The apartment smelled fabulous and I enjoyed relaxing while the soup simmered.

Meet my veggies. They were good sports about going in my soup, thanks guys.

Not really knowing how much I needed to buy of each veggie and once I started dicing, I realized I over bought on some ingredients. The soup turned out really good and the leftovers tasted great as well. I switched up the recipe to simplify it, added ingredients, and changed portions. My version has a slight kick and you can cut back on the red pepper flakes if you prefer less heat (original recipe). 

Ecuadorian Quinoa Soup 

Ingredients
   1/2 cup raw quinoa (rinsed)
   2 tablespoons olive oil
   2 dried bay leaves
   2 minced garlic cloves
   1 medium onion
   1 small potato (peeled)
   1 large tomato
   1 medium zucchini
   1 green pepper
   4 cups vegetable stock
   1/2 lemon 

Spice Mixture
   2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
   2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
   1 tablespoon dried oregano 
   1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (gives it a good kick, use less if needed)
   1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
   1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions
   1. Dice all vegetables and heat olive oil in a stock pot.
   2. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and saute covered for 5
   minutes. Stir occasionally.
   3. Add the quinoa and spice mixture and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes.
   4. Add the tomatoes, green peppers, potatoes, and stock.
   5. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
   6. Add zucchini and simmer and additional 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
   7. Remove bay leaves, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, enjoy!

Something I've learned.

The onions were the only veggies that put up a fight and left me crying while cooking. A friend of mine tipped me off to an easy relief for onion tears. It might sound strange, but, open the freezer, close your eyes and stick your face in! The mist and coolness of the freezer does wonders and although you feel silly, it helps.

How do you stop the tears? Looking for more tips on this one!

Share

Kicking Off Fall with a Simple Soup.

---