Vegetable Soup

This is my favorite vegetable soup. I found the recipe in a Real Simple magazine issue a few years ago and have been making it ever since. I like it because it is simple yet delicious. I like it because it makes me feel healthy to eat all of those vegetables. And I like it because it warms me up on a cold winter day.

Usually I put one or two Yukon Gold potatoes in the soup, but this time I put in some uncooked quinoa instead. I liked the flavor and texture of the quinoa in the soup, and I liked that measuring the quinoa was a lot easier and quicker than cutting up a potato. If you're not familiar with quinoa, you can find it in the health food section of a grocery store, usually next to the rice and barley. The original recipe also calls for just 1/4 pound of green beans and 1 cup of broccoli, but we really like both of those vegetables, so I tend to add a bit more, probably about 1/2 pound of green beans and 2 cups of broccoli.

Here is the original vegetable soup recipe, and my modified version is below.

Vegetable Soup
serves 4 adults

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 32-ounce box of Imagine Organic free range chicken broth (not low-sodium). The quality of the chicken broth is really important for this soup, so I would recommend using either the Imagine chicken broth or a homemade chicken stock.
• about 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes (1 or 2 medium-size potatoes), cut into 1-inch chunks
  
• OR, instead of the potato, 1/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes and their juices, no salt added
• 1/4 to 1/2 pound green beans, ends cut off and then cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 to 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed. Look for a can that has just chick peas, water, and salt.

Instructions:

Chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Place a 4-quart pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and saute until softened. Add the thyme and salt, and stir thoroughly. Then add the broth and either the potatoes or quinoa. Increase the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot partially, and let simmer for 7 minutes. Then add the green beans, tomatoes, and chick peas to the pot and stir. When the soup begins simmering again, set the timer for another 7 minutes. After those 7 minutes, add the broccoli. If there is not enough liquid, add 1 or 2 cups of hot water. Cook until the broccoli and green beans are tender, about 5 to 10 more minutes.