March 27, 2014
One of my 2014 goals is to cook a new recipe at least once a month. I think I have done a pretty good job so far – I’ve cooked and shared 5 recipes through today!
I’ve made some progress cooking my way through The Runner’s World Cookbook, “150 Ultimate Recipes for Fueling Up and Slimming Down – While Enjoying Every Bite.” I’ve blogged about my adventures in making Butternut Squash Hummus and Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts, and today I am going to share the delicious Chicken Quinoa Soup recipe.
Ingredients – Recipe HERE
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs (I used chicken breast)
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (I used shitake – any will do)
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup quinoa
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
- salt and pepper to taste
I used 1 pound of chicken breast and followed Amanda’s recipe for slow cooker chicken. After 5-6 hours of cooking, the chicken was moist enough to pull apart (you do not have to use this method, but I wanted to try it anyways). Doesn’t it look great!?
Because I was already using a crockpot, I decided to cook the soup in there instead of the stovetop.
I sliced the celery, carrots and garlic gloves. I cheated a bit utilized frozen diced onions and mushrooms as a time saver. I tossed those ingredients into the crockpot.
I added the remaining ingredients: canola oil, chicken broth, water, quinoa, salt and pepper, and thyme into the mix.
I set my crockpot to warm and let it cook overnight. And the finished product!
- The book estimates it would take only 45 minutes; I took longer because I used a crockpot to create the pulled chicken.
- I shortened some prep time by utilizing frozen (and already diced) vegetables!
- I probably could have added a little more water for the broth.
- This was a yummy meal during this cold cold DC week, and I froze some containers for later.
PS – Mar also cooked this same recipe this week – great minds think alike!
Do you have a go to soup recipe?
What techniques do you have to save time in the kitchen?
