Chicken Quinoa Soup

Before I start today's post, I want to share with you one of my weaknesses. Photography. I gave all my skills to my younger sister, and she now has a successful photography business. Ok, maybe I didn't have to give her skills. She already had them. I just don't have that talent. I usually just take pictures of pretty sunsets, mountains, or my nieces and nephews, but never food. It is an art, and I was kicked out of art in elementary school because I was just that bad. So, I will be taking amateur photos of my food so you have a reference, but please don't judge. Please know that just because I can't make food look good in a picture, it doesn't mean it looks that bad in real life. I promise.

I finally felt good enough to make dinner last night. It was definitely past due. I missed cooking. It is always an experience. There are so many things to smell and see and taste. Get ready for my first cooking tip! Start smelling and tasting everything you can! Smell the seasonings and herbs you use, taste the broth you cook rice in, taste dinner at every stage until it hits the table. Please don't misinterpret this as permission to taste raw or undercooked meat or rice or pasta or anything else that should be cooked before you eat it. You do have my permission, however, to be the weird kid that smells things in the grocery store. That way, I won't feel like the only one. (Just don't put the food in your nose as you take a whiff. That's gross for whoever happens to buy it.)

Back to dinner. I have been looking for quinoa to be on sale for months. I may have done a little dance when I finally found it. Don't judge. I like the texture of quinoa. (Oh yeah, you should know that I talk about the texture of food a lot. Mostly because my mom can't smell or taste. When we eat together, we talk about the texture of our food. I describe what things taste like so she has an idea, but at the end of the day, it is just about texture. Thanks to her, I try to make sure foods have a good texture and flavor. That gave me a head start in school because that is something they teach you.) I also like that quinoa is a grain that has some health benefits. It doesn't have a ton of calories and is loaded with protein. Plus it can be added to pretty much anything.

I don't often cook with recipes because I like cooking with things that I have on hand or things that are on sale. People usually hate that I can't give exact measurements for anything. The kids I went to school with hated it, but my chef instructors loved it. It means I am not limited to a recipe and I am not tied to a measuring spoon. I'm not going to change that for my blog because I want you to experience the same freedom I do. You'll thank me for it at some point, I'm sure.

When I share recipes, I will usually list the ingredients I used and the steps to follow. I am going to try to include alternative ingredients you could use so you don't have to run to the store for something specific. You're welcome.



Chicken Quinoa Soup
3 small chicken breasts, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks of celery
3 carrots (I like the regular sized carrots best, just increase the amount if you buy baby carrots.)
4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of quinoa
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes

I seasoned this soup with salt, pepper, and garlic.

1. Sauté chicken in a little olive oil until it is lightly browned. Set aside.
2. In the same pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery until onions are translucent.
3. Add chicken stock and quinoa. Bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and set the timer for 10 minutes.
5. When the timer goes off, add the tomatoes. Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes until the quinoa is fully cooked.(It should have a little, white string-like border.)
6. Add the chicken. Heat through.
7. Serve.

You could add just about any vegetable you want to this dish. You could omit the chicken and add extra vegetables or white beans if you are using this as an appetizer or just want to go meatless. If you don't want to buy quinoa, you could add cooked rice when you add the chicken. The possibilities are endless.