Minestrone Soup with Quinoa

Looky here...another soup!
It's still windy, snowy, and cold here in Iowa so until I see the 50's roll around I will keep myself all warm and fuzzy feeling with healthy soups!
This one is a must try (I say that about all of them, but I really mean it).

Minestrone Soup with Quinoa
from Clean Eating Magazine
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch dices
1 cup fennel, cut into 1/2 inch dices
1 cup red or white onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped OR dried thyme
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (I just kinda crushed them under my knife as you would with garlic)
1 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

I doubled the recipe so for my second 1 1/2 cups I used red kidney beans for more color
2 cups diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup uncooked but rinsed quinoa
sea salt and ground pepper
1 cup spinach, cut chiffonade
go here to learn how to chiffonade:
http://localfoods.about.com/od/basics/ss/Chiffonade.htm
3 T basil (fresh or dried)
2 oz Parmesan, grated, optional

Instructions:
In large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, fennel, onion, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and fennel seeds. Cook and stir often until veggies are soft (8 minutes). Add 6 cups water, beans, tomatoes (in juice if using canned), and quinoa. Increase heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Stir in spinach and basil just before serving. Garnish with cheese if desired.

Abby trying to figure out how to cut the fennel!?
go here to learn how:
http://www.cookthink.com/reference/129/How_to_prep_fennel


mmmm....yum
so many colors=so many nutrients!

Viola! Enjoy!
nutrients per 8 oz with cheese: 137 cals, 5g fat, 19g carbs, 5g prot

Until next time...
look good, feel good, do good
www.sarabconsulting.com