Spring Quinoa Minestrone

Springtime but make it hearty

If you’ve been here a little while you know I love to nerd out on Blue Zones. I won’t get in the weeds here, but if you are interested to learn more about longevity foods and lifestyle, click the link above! One of the primary recipes out of the Blue Zones is the Sardinian Minestrone. Famously, the Melis family of Sardinia held the world record for longevity as of 2012, and ate this meal every single day! It’s also a great weekday staple, full of veggies, fiber and in this case, delicious quinoa. Which makes it…totally Gluten Free!

You can make it on the stove, or toss all the ingredients in an instant pot or slow cooker. You can also tailor the ingredients to your specific tastes. Don’t love fennel or dill? Just leave it out, or replace with another favorite herb. I’ve deconstructed this soup many times for smaller palettes, separating beans, carrots, potatoes, etc. on the plate. Basically, it’s the perfect GF meal :)

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3-4 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bulb fennel, chopped
2 medium sized red potatoes, 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup dill, chopped (or as much as you like!)
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (or as much as you like!)
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 14 oz can diced tomato
1/4 cup quinoa
6+ cups veggie broth
Salt/Pepper
Favorite dried seasonings/herbs (oregano, Italian seasoning)

Directions
Dice 1 onion, 3 carrots, 3-4 celery stalks, and mince the 3 garlic cloves and toss in the 2 Tablespoon olive oil on low heat. Sautee until translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Add in the chopped fennel bulb, 2 diced red potatoes, 1/4 cup chopped dill, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, drained pinto beans, drained cannelini beans, diced tomatoes and add salt and pepper, and any other seasonings/herbs you’re using. Then add 6 cups veggie broth and 1/4 cup quinoa. Mix, cover and boil. Once boiling, partially remove the lid and put on low heat for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Again, you can really make this your own and add whatever you want. I usually like to add greens such as spinach or kale. Also, I love a thick soup, which the quinoa helps to do. If you like a thinner, more traditional minestrone, you can add more broth as the veggies cook down and the quinoa begins to bulk up the soup. This is why stirring intermittently is important!

Enjoy!