Soup's On!

Tonight was Miss America. This year, Miss Mississippi is from my hometown of Clinton. In fact, she lives less than a mile from where I lived...not that I know her or anything. She is super talented, elegant, graceful, and full of compassion for people with disabilities. Her platform centers around care for adults with mental disabilities. So, I watched the Miss America pageant with eager anticipation. Well, Taryn not only made top 10 but she made top 5 and got to perform her very difficult talent selection. I personally thought that she was the best of the top 5 but the judges didn't ask me. I also think that she would have answered her interview question better than the others did. I was glad Miss Oklahoma won even though I thought she totally blew her question. Anyway, Taryn, we are SO proud of you here in MS and you represented us well! Congrats!

Okay, now on to the food. It was SO cold here today. When I left to walk to class the grass was crunchy because it had frozen and it was still in the 20's. Since my roommate wasn't going to be here for supper, I decided to throw together soup instead of make salmon, because I know that she likes that. Anyway, the soup turned out GREAT...a perfect veggie soup! I guess the only thing missing was carrot. This was the first time I've used quinoa and because it was in with all of the veggies, I couldn't really tell what it was like; but I plan on trying it again soon in stuffed peppers. Because of all the great veggies in this soup it is PERFECT for Sweetnicks ARF-Five-a-Day event. Be sure to check out all the other posts Tuesday night for more inspiration. Quinoa Veggie Soup

1/3 cup quinoa (probably could use more)

2 garlic cloves

1 onion chopped

2 stalked celery, chopped

1 can (14.5 oz) no sugar added corn

1 can (14.5 oz) french cut green beans

1 - 1 1/2 cups okra (I used frozen)

1 can (14.5 oz) diced, stewed tomatoes

1 can chicken or vegetable broth

Season All

Garlic Powder

Oregano

Basil

In a hot dutch oven, put quinoa, garlic, onion, and celery with cooking spray or a little olive oil; cook several minutes. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, okra, and broth. Season with Season all and garlic powder to taste. Bring to a boil and the turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in oregano and basil just before serving. You can also top with Parmesan cheese for a punch of flavor.

NOTE: I put some canned chicken in it this time but wouldn't do that next time...it isn't needed. Feel free to do so if you want to, however.