Hunger. It hasn’t be frequenting me lately. Not that I haven’t been well fed, just that I haven’t had an appetite. That’s merely a symptom of my as-yet-unknown issue. For so many out there, the opposite is true. They’re hungry and not well fed. So, in the spirit of the season, the spirit of giving, I’m a part of Share Our Strength’s Share Our Holiday Table. It’s a virtual progressive dinner party – each day, there’s a new set of dishes by a talented group of bloggers. Today, it’s all about soup. Soup, and raising awareness about childhood hunger in the States.
So, let’s talk about soup. This one, it took all I have. It’s a product of what was filling our fridge and cupboards. You see, yesterday I knew I had to make a soup. The one that would end up being this one. It’s no secret that energy has been a hot commodity for me, so this came down to the wire. I had to make it. Mom grabbed a handful of cookbooks, plopped them in front of me and the wheels started to turn. I wanted something unique and fun. Something comforting and delicious. Quinoa popped into my mind pretty quickly. So did sweet potatoes and beans. Once mom mentioned that we had a few zucchini, I knew where this was headed. After consulting Quinoa 365 on how to actually add the quinoa to the soup, I was off. (Disclaimer: I was sent Quinoa 365 for free, no obligation to review or mention, no compensation, yada yada yada. I’m just telling you the story of how this soup came to be, and that was where some of the ideas came from.) Anyways! Once I got into the kitchen, I started writing a make-shift recipe. After looking in the cupboards, some parts got crossed off, others were added.
It flowed. I wish I could say that I felt great making this, but it’s not the truth. After cutting up a single cup of mushrooms? I thought I was done. I had to stop for longer than I’d like to admit. Each part came, then I crumpled into the couch and listened for the timer as it simmered. When it was all ready and ladled into my bowl, its warmth filled me up. My tummy was happy with this inside it. I almost fell into a nap, but before I could, we had to leave for the doctor. Exhaustion permeating your bones is not enjoyable. The same goes for hunger. Especially in childhood.
I’m so lucky to be where I am. Even if my health isn’t particularly consistent, my plate has always had food, my home is always heated and my family is always near. It always makes me grateful for my circumstances, especially as the snow starts to fly. I hope that this holiday season, you’ll join me in giving to charities like Share Our Strength.
Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup potato, peeled and diced
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced (I did a somewhat smaller dice than the potatoes, as they take longer to cook)
4 cups chicken stock (you’ll want one with a good flavour, as that’ll be the primary flavour of the soup).
1 cup zucchini, diced or sliced
1 cup tomatoes, diced
~2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup canned mixed beans, rinsed
salt and pepper, to taste
Steps
In a pre-heated pot or dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Saute the mushrooms, potato and sweet potato until the veggies have softened, about 8 minutes.
Add stock, zucchini, tomatoes, parmesan, quinoa and beans to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked (the rings will start to separate) and the beans are heated through. Season with salt and pepper (I did a turn or two of each), and serve.
So simple. It doesn’t have a lot of liquid, but with the warm flavour of the chicken broth permeating the quinoa, I didn’t miss it. If you did, you could add some additional heated stock when serving.
It has a character of chicken noodle soup. You know, the kind without chicken or noodles ;). You could always play with the veggies – add your favourites, or add whichever spices fit with your palate and the accompanying flavours.
As I mentioned before, I’m not the only one posting a soup today. This whole week in fact is filled with all sorts of lovely treats. There are tracks, so you can find recipes that match what you’re looking for (though, there is guaranteed to be some overlap of categories with this group!). With that said, I hope that you enjoy all of our soups today!
Gourmet:
edible cville
The Runaway Spoon
A Girl, A Market, A Meal
Family Friendly:
Ladies and Jellyspoons
Two Dollar Dinners
All About Alton Brown
Cookie Central
Vegetarian:
goodLife {eats}
Feed Our Families
Gluten-Free:
Celiacs in the House
Gluten Free Life with Jen
And Love it Too!
xoxo
Lauren
{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
We <3 Quinoa! Can't wait to try it in your soup!
Beautiful sentiments, beautiful post, and beautiful soup. Thanks so much for sharing this Lauren!
Lauren I’m so sorry you are not well! Praying for answers for you soon! 🙂 (((hugs!!))) Your soup looks lovely! What a great blogging event!
Lauren … I will be right over for some! Ha! So I was reading through The Spunky Coconut’s new grain-free cookbook and almost had to phone her up to tell her that “ummm, your new grain-free cookbook has grain in it.” I was making a batch of her cookies and they called for quinoa flakes. “GRAIN?!” I gasped. So I went online and low and behold, like buckwheat, quinoa is not a grain—but a seed. I am sure everyone knew this but me : ) So if you’re GF AND grain-free, this one is a must try 😉
I hope you are feeling better!
xo
-Lexie
Oh Lauren,
I am so sorry that you keep struggling with your health. But nothing could be better to soothe you than a bowl of this beautiful soup. I have some beautiful blue potatoes right now that would be perfect for this soup! xoxoxo
ps. Thanks for supporting our efforts to end childhood hunger!
You came up with a really lovely looking soup. I’ve never used quinoa in a soup either, so I think I’ll have to give it a try. What a nice post and reminder of how fortunate we are to have stocked cupboards, warm home, and family.
Lauren, as bloggers, we sure are often well fed and it’s so wonderful when we think of others who are less fortunate. I love quinoa but never used it in a soup. This one looks lovely.
I hope you feel better.
Don’t you just love the versatility of quinoa? And now you can find it in three different colors!!! Your soup looks wonderful Lauren. And I love the process you describe of making it. I hope that health is soon, very soon, at your doorstep.
The soup looks hearty and delicious! I hope you feel better soon, Lauren!
Hello Lauren, this recipe looks great, good and filling.
Your attitude is an inspiration to me. It’s easy to be cheerful when we feel fine, not so easy when we don’t. Warmest wishes for a speedy return to health.
Lauren – this looks beautiful and sounds delicious. What fun to look through the cupboard and fridge and dream up a totally new dish. I’m so sorry you’re still not back on your feet. I’ll be sending healing energy your way.
Lauren, you are an absolute trooper for making this, despite your ongoing health issues. It’s so typical of your generous and giving spirit – and looks like you could use a few bowls of this to make you feel better. Hugs xoxo
Hi- found your site from http://www.simplysugarandglutenfree.com/ and clicked because of the word “teen”. My 17 yr old son has been battling ‘non-appetite’ for over a year after coming home from a trip to Mexico with 3 kinds of parasites and 20% of his bodyweight lost. I know it’s hard to eat when you don’t feel like it, or are not “feeling” hunger. One day at a time and don’t get discouraged. One good thing going for you is that you can recognise that you need food (and help) and did not fall into anorexia like my son.
Be blessed and thanks for the recipe- we love quinoa here and have been adding chunks of winter squashes to our soups and stews. Jordan Rubin has a good recipe for a Synergy Smoothie that is good for better health too.
Hi Dee, I am so sorry to hear about your son! I hope that his appetite begins to return as well. Thank you so much for your concern – I’ve been getting better slowly, and with a change in my thyroid medication, my appetite has been increasing.
I adore Quinoa, too!! Found this fun recipe for stuffing wee pumpkins with quinoa – had to try it – http://www.facebook.com/notes/institute-for-integrative-nutrition/quinoa-stuffed-pumpkin/471299644542 yum!! I love using these healthy seeds!
Glad you’re feeling a bit better & there’s been a switch in Thyroid meds – does the water in your area happen to be fluoridated? That can interfere with thyroid function (& can’t be filtered out of the water – boo!) I add kombu (a kind of kelp) to many dishes I cook – love getting more iodine & micronutrients that way!
My daughter’s best friend is now grain free, after appointments with Gluten Free RN who lives in our area – she has multiple sensitivities, & has to really watch her diet. She does consultation via e-mail & phone, so could be a great resource for fine tuning what will work for YOU!
That’s my kind of soup!
I do hope you get some answers soon. I’d love to visit again, but the girls are enough to wear out a fully healthy person!
It has been such a pleasure getting to know you this year. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas! xo Carol
The quinoa soup looks like comfort in a bowl. Hope you feel better- and I wish and your family enjoy a healthy and happy New Year 2011!
This looks so good! I love quinoa with warm liquid, so comforting and the texture is amazin, I will deifinitely try this! A great meal to give to my dad who usually never survives on soup but this looks substantial enough…
Thanks xx
This soup looks delicious! Happy holidays, Lauren! Wishing you a healthier 2011!
I am allergic to dairy and there is no test. It made me so sick I had colitis of unknown type or origin, migraines and even more gastric problems. I stopped dairy completely and all went away!!!
Just to say my story-I had to get the book Fit For Life and follow it religiously-omitting dairy. Try to eat 7 fruits and vegetables a day, 2 good carbs and 1 protein. All you do is eat and get to a perfect weight. I also love the cookbook Skinny Bitch in the Kitchen (totally vegan) and Cook Yourself Thin where I tweek all of the recipes.
I can share with you the feeling of comfort food and taste and changing up recipes. Unfortunately, Celiac recipes lack recipes omitting dairy-which no human should ever eat.
I find it so easy to make all of my favorites by using chick pea flour!!!
I love all the different colors in this soup. Often, I pick my ingredients by trying to create a rainbow in my bowl.
I hope you are feeling better.
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