Yes I'm posting a soup recipe in Summer. Crazy I know but with the torrential rain that we have been having over the past few days (weeks & months) it seemed right to post something warm and comforting for those rainy days to come in Autumn and Winter.

I concocted this soup up on one particularly rainy day last week when I wanted something comforting and warm to wrap my hands around while snuggled on the couch. I did get to enjoy it but unfortunately snuggling on the couch when a 6 month old is awake is a little impossible. I still got the warm and fuzzy feeling of a snuggly day after consuming this wholesome soup.

If it's raining outside I am guaranteed to make soup - even if it is summer. Who cares about the season, if it's rainy and cold outside there will be soup bubbling on my stove top - or defrosting from my freezer! I made a fairly big batch of this soup up which I enjoyed for a few days after that. When I made this soup I was craving a chicken and vegetable soup or an Asian styled chicken and corn soup. This is kind of a cross between the two.

There is some chicken kinda magic in a bowlful of chicken soup. What is it about chicken soup that makes you feel well, whole and happy - especially if you are not feeling well. I made this soup in under 30 minutes but you could make it quicker if you had already cooked the Quinoa the day before. This was including having to defrost a frozen chicken breast as well so it might be even quicker if you are a bit more prepared then I was. But hey when a chicken soup craving starts to call there is no stopping it. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do to satisfy it! I only used one chicken breast finely sliced for this soup and it would of easily stretched to feeding 4-5 people as an entree or 3 very hungry people for a main meal.

I have always wanted to add in Quinoa to the soup because it not only makes a seriously healthy contribution to the dish but it also gives a point of difference than the normal mundane ingredient. For example instead of rice in a paella - add Quinoa. I did this in a easy sausage paella I made a few months back and it was super tasty. Must make that again and get it up on the blog. I'm sure you are all well aware of the many health benefits attached to this little tiny seed. Yes its a seed not a grain and would you believe it is related to the silver beet, spinach and beetroot family. Fun fact for you there. I used Red Quinoa which I was able to get from my local supermarket. You can also get white and black quinoa seeds which make for a great salad when mixed together.

Chicken & Corn, Quinoa Soup

by The Whimsical Wife

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Keywords: saute appetizer main soup/stew dairy free gluten-free

Ingredients (serves 3-4)

1 x large carrot, diced in 1 cm cubes
2 x sticks celery, diced in 1 cm cubes
1 x brown onion, diced finely
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger, fresh
1 teaspoon minced garlic, fresh
1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 x bay leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup red quinoa, uncooked
400g tin creamed corn
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 x raw chicken breast, sliced into thin pieces
salt/pepper
2 x spring onions, finely sliced for garnish

Instructions

Place a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Place a drizzle of olive oil into the base and place the onions, carrots and celery into the pan.

Saute for 2-3 minutes until the onion is translucent. Place the garlic, ginger and chilli into the pan and saute for a further minute.

Place the chicken stock, bay leaves, creamed corn. soy sauce and uncooked quinoa into the pan and bring to the boil.

Once the stock has started to boil reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Check the quinoa that it is nearly cooked through, if it is place the chicken pieces into the stock and simmer for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through.

Place a ladleful of the soup into a bowl and top with the spring onions.

Serve alongside crusty bread.

*This can be made quicker if the quinoa has been pre-cooked - it can be added at the end along with the chicken breast to heat it through*