Chicken and Quinoa Soup

By davidv

Quinoa (keen-wah) looks and tastes like a grain, but it's really a nutrient-rich seed. If you're new to this "supergrain," this recipe is a delicious way to get introduced.

Tip: To keep this recipe heart-healthy, we omitted salt and even used reduced-sodium broth and tomatoes. If the soup is too bland for your taste, however, just add a little salt back in. Feel free to add fresh cracked pepper, as well.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, shredded
• 1 cup yellow onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 1 (14.5-oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 10 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, shredded into pieces

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the green onions, carrots, onions, celery, and tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, dried cilantro, and cumin and cook for 2 more minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock, add the quinoa, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the shredded chicken and cook for 5 more minutes.