Chicken Quinoa Soup

It has been pissing rain here the last couple of days! Sorry for the swear but we've had 4 inches in the last 3 days so I stand by it: pissing rain. I don't know about you but when it rains, I prefer a warm soup. Nothing feels better than stripping off sopping wet clothes, putting on your fuzziest slippers, and eating a warm cup of soup.

This is probably one of the first recipes I ever "created". I used to buy those Progresso "chunky" soups or whatever and then I realized how easy and cheap it is to make your own. So I did. And it wasn't rocket science: carrots, celary, chicken, noodles. Bam! But then I discovered how good quinoa is for you and how easy it is to switch that for the nutrition-less noodles. Anyway, enough blabbing. Here's the recipe. 

Sauteing Veggies

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 summer squash, chopped
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1/2 c. quinoa
• 2 pkgs organic chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika
• parsley to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Bringing to a boil

 How To Cook It

• in a large stock pot, heat olive oil and saute veggies until tender (about 5 to 10 minutes)
• stir in the paprika and cook for another minute
• carefully add the chicken stock
• add chicken, quinoa, salt, pepper and parsley; bring to a boil
• reduce heat and cover, let simmer for around 30 minutes