Soup Sunday is Here Again! Quinoa and Chicken Soup

I love making soups on Sunday because it's easy to prep and even make ahead then just heat up, and it's a satisfying and nourishing meal for everyone without being a long, drawn-out process. I also love that soups are so versatile and really anything goes.

You can take a soup recipe and make it your own with just the change of a few ingredients or with the addition of your favorite spices. That said, sometimes we find ourselves stuck in a rut with our recipes (soup and otherwise) that can make our families bored having the same meals every week. So it's always good to mix it up a little bit with a new recipe idea, even if it just gets us started on a path to a new favorite!

For me, quinoa was just such a path. It's similar enough to rice that it cooks almost exactly the same way, but in taste, texture and profile it's really a lot different.  Quinoa is great because it has a lot of protein and fiber; it's a real nutritional powerhouse, and it's very filling (even though it seems light when you're eating it). So it's fun to experiment with stand-by dishes and give them a new twist with quinoa. And just like other soups, VitaClay makes it so easy to make every meal delicious and nutritious for everyone! Give this one a try on your soup Sunday and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

• 1-2 lb organic or pastured chicken meat (I prefer dark, but you can make that choice)
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 5 cups broth
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 T fresh or dried thyme
• salt and pepper, to taste
• fresh parsley (garnish)
• hot sauce (garnish)

 Directions:

1. Add all ingredients except for garnishes into the clay pot
2. Cover, seal and cook on “soup” setting for 1 hour
3. Garnish with fresh parsley and hot sauce