Green Vegetable Soup with Quinoa

This delicious vegetable soup is perfect all year round and can be adapted to use whatever vegetables are in season. By including quinoa it becomes a satisfying and healthy option for either lunch or dinner.

What you will need:

• 2 medium brown onions, finely diced
• olive oil
• a small fennel bulb, finely sliced
• fresh celery leaves (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh herbs - use a combination of thyme, oregano and a few sprigs of rosemary
• small clove of garlic
• a pinch of fennel seeds
• 2 litres of either chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 sticks of celery, sliced
• cauliflower florets (about 2 cups)
• kale - shredded ( several leaves)
• 1 cup of frozen peas (or fresh if available)
• 1 cup of quinoa 
• 1 - 2 tsp lemon juice (to taste)
• fresh parsley
• black pepper

What you need to do:

1.  Fry the onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes or until soft. 

2.  Add the fennel seeds and stir for another 30 seconds. Add the bay leaf, fresh herbs, fresh fennel and celery leaves and cook for another 30 seconds.

3.  Add the stock and reduce heat to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

4.  Cook the quinoa (use 1 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly, and 1 1/2 cups of water)  

4.  Add the celery, cauliflower, kale and peas. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.

5.  Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.

6.  Place some cooked quinoa into each serving bowl.  Ladle the soup over the quinoa. Serve with freshly group black pepper and fresh parsley.