Quinoa Harvest Soup "Late Soup"

Food fads come and go just about as quickly as diet fads. Pomegranate was the miracle fruit. Bananas were good for everything from working out to curing hangovers. Pork was the other white meat. Beef was what's for dinner. Now there's quinoa. Or, as Andy likes to call it from the Bud Light commercial, "quee-no."

I bought some quinoa a few weeks ago at the grocery store, thinking it would be a healthy alternative to rice. There aren't many foods these days that I just plain don't like, so I figured it was worth a shot. High in fiber and protein, I thought I had surely found a super-food side. Well, while quinoa may be a super food, it is also super gross. (In my opinion). It is bland, sticky, and tastes like you're eating cardboard. Not to mention, it isn't the cheapest food on the shelf. So we were left with one bag of quinoa, and neither of us were going to touch it.

Andy found a recipe for a soup to put it in, and he hit the nail on the head. Quinoa has little to no flavor when prepared on its own (even when it claims to be "Mediterranean Flavored," but in the soup he made, it was a healthy, protein filled filler.

We started calling it late soup because it seems that every time we have it, we don't eat until 10:00 at night. Now anyone who knows us, knows that Andy/Kate time is at least 30-45 minutes behind schedule. That being said, the first time he made the soup, Andy underestimated the amount of time it would take to defrost chicken breasts and chop up all of the vegetables. About 9:30pm, I asked if he thought it'd be done any time soon. He wasn't very sure. But it was definitely well-worth the wait. It is a hearty, thick soup chock full of veggies & healthiness.

The second time we had Late Soup, we were helping my dad move offices. Of particular importance is the fact that I'm pretty sure that my dad runs on Andy time, and what was supposed to take about 30 minutes turned into a two hour adventure. Sweet Andy is always willing to help out, but I am seriously thinking about getting him this bumper sticker for his truck.

So all of that being said, gather up your ingredients and start early. It is a great fall/winter soup, but it does take some time to prepare and cook. Or don't start early, and you can keep up the tradition of Late Soup, too. 

Quinoa Harvest Soup "Late Soup"
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Red pepper flakes
• 2 large chicken breasts, cut in half
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. 
2. Add carrot and onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until tender, about 10 minutes. 
3. Add garlic, season with more salt and pepper, then saute for 2 more minutes. 
4. Add chicken stock, parsley flakes, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil.
5. Add chicken breasts to the pot then cook for 10 minutes just below boil, or until no longer pink in the center. 
6. Remove chicken breasts to a plate then add sweet potato, russet potato, and quinoa to boiling broth. 
7. Place a lid on top, lower heat to medium, then cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender and quinoa is cooked. 
8. Meanwhile shred chicken.
9. Add shredded chicken back to the soup, then add cheese and stir to combine.

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine & Andy