Super Healthy, Beef Vegetable Quinoa Stew

By srumbel

(NEW Recipe) I can’t wait for you to make this! Beyond hearty and delicious, this main course stew has it all and then some! It starts with a rich tomato base, lean ground beef and chock full of vegetables and quinoa. I call it a stew versus a soup since it’s so wonderfully thick. One huge bowl (2 cups) has only 269 calories, 5 grams of fat and 6 Weight Watchers SmartPoints. A bowl of pure yumminess!
from skinnykitchen.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa (dry)
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups onions, diced
• 1 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey, see shopping tips
• 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• ! (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (24 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce, I like Barilla or Classico
• 1 (14.5 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups zucchini, chopped (slice zucchini in half and cut into slices)
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup red bell peppers, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, packed
• 6 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional topping

Preparation

Step 1

1. Cook quiona: In a small pot, add ½ cup quinoa and stir in 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, cover and cook on low heat, until all water is absorbed, about 12-15 minutes.

2. In a large nonstick pot, add ground beef, onions and garlic. Brown beef throughly, stirring often and breaking up beef into very small pieces. Once browned, pour into a colander in the sink, to drain the fat.

3. Add beef and onions back to pot. Stir in tomatoes, pasta sauce, beef broth, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings and black pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes. Remove cover, stir in spinach and cooked quinoa. Mix well. Cook 2 more minutes, until spinach is wilted.

4. This soup freezes great!

Makes 12 cups total, 6 servings (each main course serving, 2 cups)