By Gina Koneczny
Hearty enough for a meal on its own, this vitamin-rich and fibre-packed soup is a favourite staple of our Telok Ayer studio manager, Gina.
“I love this recipe because it’s healthy and also very filling, and so easy to make. The hardest part is the food prep – chopping the veggies. The rest is simple! I make this recipe often as a good go-to lunch option and it’s easy to bring with to work! I freeze about half of the soup once it’s cooled. A couple weeks later I bring it out of the freezer and I have another whole week of lunch ready to go! I recommend eating with fresh bread or crackers.” – Gina
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 1 cup zucchini, diced
- 1 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup sweet potatoes, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 can (400g) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (400g) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained thoroughly
- 1 cup chopped kale leaves (remove the hard middle stems)
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed very well
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- A dash red pepper flakesg
- Ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice, or to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, zucchini, bell pepper and sweet potato and a pinch of salt. Let the vegetables cook, stirring often, until the onion has turned soft and translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme. Stir frequently, about 1 minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and cook for a few more minutes. Keep stirring!
- Add the quinoa, vegetable broth and water. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 bay leaves and a dash of red pepper flakes. Season with ground black pepper. Turn the heat up to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Place a wooden spoon over the top of the pot and cover with its lid, leaving it partially open to allow steam to escape. Reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer gently.
- Simmer for 25 minutes, then remove the lid and add the beans and kale. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes or more.
- Remove the pot from heat, then take the bay leaves out. Season the soup with lemon juice, salt and pepper to your liking.
- Ladle out into warmed bowls, and right before eating, grate some Parmesan right over the soup!
