QUINOA, ADZUKI BEAN TOMATO SOUP with sprouted adzuki beans

By garciamoss

Ingredients

• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped fine
• 6-8 large organic tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup sprouted adzuki beans, soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup white or red quinoa
• 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• fresh basil leave for garnish
• olive oil for cooking

Details

Adapted from pureella.com

Preparation

Step 1

Start with a large pot, drizzle with enough olive oil to cover bottom. Add in onions and cook over medium heat to brown slightly, add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat and continue cooking the onion and garlic to carmelize, adding a little more olive oil if needed. stirring often to let all the sides cook evenly and not to let the bottom burn. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the onions appear completely translucent and golden but not burned.

This carmelizing process is key to get a rich and *meaty* flavour to this soup.

Then, you can add in all the tomatoes, adzuki beans, salt, pepper and dried herbs. At this time add in some hot boiled water to just cover the tomatoes and beans. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Then add in the quinoa. When this is cooking, the water will start getting absorbed quickly and you will need to add more. Add the water 1/2 cup at a time to keep the flavours rich and not get watered down too quickly. Keep the pot covered and cook on medium low until the beans are softened.

Full cooking time is about 1 1/4 hr. If you want to speed up the cooking time, start cooking the soaked adzuki beans right away, before you tend to your onion carmelizing. Then combine the pots (with the water from the beans) together and continue on with adding the tomatoes etc. This will cut the cooking time by about 20 minutes.