Don’t underestimate this quinoa soup as a mere starter. The quinoa and chock full of veggies turn this soup into ‘dinner in a bowl’ which nourish and satisfy the appetite without making you feel heavy on the stomach.

Every sip of this soup will warm your soul. It hardly calls for any seasoning other than salt and pepper and gets its mild flavors from the veggies cooked in the broth. In spite of being loaded with veggies, this soup is surprisingly light and easy to digest; thanks to the quinoa. This is particularly beneficial for women who have a tendency to develop gas or find their meal difficult to digest. Apart from its easy digestibility, quinoa supplies you with all the eight essential amino acids as well as iron and fiber, thus making this soup a balanced meal, all by itself. The nutrients from the veggies are an added bonus!

This healthy broth is not only deliciously nutritious, but is also fast and fuss-free to make, especially once you are done with prepping the veggies. It makes a large meal with lots of leftovers which freeze well for months.  What an absolute lifesaver for busy ladies!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup quinoa, washed
• ¼ cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup frozen peas
• 1 cup finely chopped white onions
• 1 cup finely chopped Swiss chard leaves
• 1 tbsp. chopped cilantro leaves
• ½ tsp. dried Mexican oregano
• 1 tbsp. light olive oil, plus more as necessary
• 2 ½ cups water
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Avocado slices, to serve

Method:

• Drizzle oil in a large soup pot and heat it over medium heat until it simmers.
• Throw in the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until they turn soft.
• Add the carrot and sweet potato chunks and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to coat the veggies well with the oil.
• Stir in the uncooked quinoa along with a dash each of oregano, black pepper and a dash of salt until nicely incorporated.
• Pour in the water and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
• Plop in the frozen peas and reduce heat to a simmer.
• Place a lid on top and continue to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the veggies are fork-tender while the quinoa is cooked through.
• Drizzle little extra olive oil in a separate skillet and heat over medium heat.
• Throw in the chopped Swiss chard leaves and flash fry for a minute.
• Tip them into the simmering soup and ladle it into serving bowls.
• Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over them and arrange the avocado slices on top.
• Serve warm.

Image credit: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quinoa_soup.jpg