Slow Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

This is such a perfect comfort food for the winter. I modified the recipe from The Food Network by using lentils instead of a bean mix, quinoa instead of barley, increased the veggies, and used WAY less salt. This recipe is pretty flexible if you want use a different grain/bean combination.

Sprinkle with some parmesan and add a salad to make it complete meal.

Slow-Cooker Quinoa Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup uncooked lentils
4 carrots, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled if large, optional
14-oz can stewed tomatoes
3 cups baby spinach

Directions:

1. Put 6 cups water, the lentils, beans, quinoa, garlic, carrots, celery, onions, bay leaf, salt, herb blend, some pepper and porcini mushrooms (if using) in a slow cooker. Squeeze the tomatoes through your hands over the pot to break them down, and add with their juices. Cover and cook on high until the beans are tender and the soup is thick, about 8 hours.

2. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with cheese if desired!

Serves 8 

Nutrition: 170 Calories, 1 g Fat, 32 g Carbohydrates, 9 grams protein

Homemade Turkey or Chicken Stock

ILeftover whole turkey or chicken? Don't toss it!! Making homemade stock is really simple, and tastes 100 times better than the boxed stuff. Use it for soups or stews- tis' the season!

Homemade Turkey Stock

Keep remains of the turkey or chicken (bones, leftover meat scraps- all of it!). Place it in a LARGE soup pot.

If you roasted the meat with carrots or celery, throw that in there too! Or cut some up and throw it in for extra flavor. Add enough water to cover all the ingredients, plus a little more.

Simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. Using a strainer with a large pot underneath, pour the stock into the strainer (slowly) so you can discard the veggies and bones. That's it!

Store in the fridge for a few days.