- 1 T. olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 stalks of celery
- 3 c. vegetables, chopped (You can add any vegetable desired- carrots, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, etc.)
- 1 large handful of spinach, chopped
- 2 c. potato, cubed (any kind- Russet, Yukon, Gold, Red)
- 1 14 oz. can tomato sauce
- 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 c. quiona, cooked
- 2 t. Mrs. Dash, original (or any flavor of your choice)
- 1 t. salt
- 1/4 t. pepper
1. Cook quiona by adding 1/2 c. quinoa and 1 c. broth or water to a pot. (If you want to make extra, just double or triple the recipe so you will have extra to freeze for later use) Bring to a boil, cover, turn down heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the seed is soft. Set aside.
*If your kids don’t like Quinoa, you can always do a Quinoa noodle, brown rice noodle, or whole grain pasta of some sort!
2. In a small sauce pan, boil your sweet potatoes and gold potato chunks until done (about 10 minutes), then drain & set aside.
3. Dice the onion and sauté in a large pot in 1 T. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once they get tender, add celery, carrots, & bell peppers (or any hard vegetables you are using), stir, then cover with lid to sweat for about 5 more minutes. After that, add your spinach and garlic. Stir for about 1 more minute until the spinach is wilted.
4. Remove lid from your vegetable mixture and stir. If the vegetables are browning a little, that is good, but if the mixture seems dry, drizzle a little water into the pan to prevent it from burning.
5. When the vegetables are soft, then add chicken broth, can of tomato sauce, cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, and Mrs. Dash. You can always puree the soup at this point if you have picky eaters and don’t think your kids will eat it!! Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and add the cooked quinoa. From this point you can just let your soup simmer on the stove as long as you need to until ready to serve. Enjoy!!
*Good cooked grains for soups include quinoa (perfect protein grain), wheat berries, millet, and barley. Just cook the grain first. Look online for cooking directions for specific grains.
