Kale and Quinoa Minestrone

Hello my darlings! It's a frigid day here in southern Texas. Yes, frigid. The temperature only reached 40-ish in central San Antonio. Now, if you're from the South, like me, I'm sure you can relate to not seeing such cold temperatures so quickly. We went from 70 or 80 degrees to 40 and 50 degrees in a matter of a week.

This frosty weather has inspired me today. This blog entry is all about staying warm! We will be making minestrone today. This recipe is gluten free, and vegan friendly. I'm positive that this will make a ton of y'all happy! Before we begin, I'd like to explain what minestrone is. Minestrone is a heart Italian vegetable soup. along with the vegetables, you can add rice or pasta. Now, minestrone can be made out of any vegetables that are in season. This will make even the most picky vegetable eaters happy! Eat on my friends, eat on!

Now that we've had a little schooling about our food, let's gather in the kitchen and try to keep warm! I'll meet you all there!

Kale and Quinoa Minestrone

Yields 6 to 8 servings

You will need:

• 1 large yellow onion, diced 
• 3 medium carrots, diced 
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups diced, fresh zucchini
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (32 ounce) carton unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 3.5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1.5 teaspoon granulated sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup dry quinoa
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans)
• 2 (heaping) cups chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish (omit or use vegan Parmesan if making vegan)

Ready?

1. In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. 
2. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and saute about 5 minutes, until softened. 
3. Add in zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
4. Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, water, parsley, rosemary, thyme, granulated sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
5. Add in dry quinoa then cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes longer.
6. Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. 
7. Serve warm garnished with (vegan) Parmesan cheese.

Okay friends and bloggers, I'm going to go snuggle under the blankets. I'll be back tomorrow after work and school with another yummy recipes. Until then, stay warm, and I'll catch you on the flip side! Happy blogging!

-Mandie