Recipe: Beef Vegetable Quinoa Soup

the appetizer:

Quinoa 365: The Everyday Superfood by Patricia Green and Carolyn Hemming includes recipes like Beef Vegetable Quinoa Soup; Ginger Edamame Quinoa; and Salmon and Red Quinoa on Asparagus with Lime Cilantro Sauce.

Beef Vegetable Quinoa Soup

The blend of herbs in this traditional beef vegetable soup takes this recipe from ordinary to extraordinary.

1 Tbsp (15 mL) cooking oil
1 cup (250 mL) diced stewing beef
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced onion
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced carrots
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced celery
1/4 cup (60 mL) quinoa
4 cups (1 L) beef broth
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh parsley
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) green peas (frozen or fresh)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Place the beef in the pan and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook until the onion is opaque, about 10 minutes. Add the quinoa and beef broth.

Make a bouquet garni (bundle of herbs) by placing the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and parsley in a small 4-inch (10 cm) square piece of cheesecloth and tying it with a cotton string. (You can also simply tie the herbs together with a string.) Immerse the bundle in the soup.

Simmer the soup for about 17 minutes, until the quinoa is tender.

Add the red pepper and peas in the last 8 minutes of cooking. Remove the fresh herbs, season with salt and pepper and serve.