Sopa de quinua con carne – Quinoa soup with beef

My mom would add quinoa to a variety of different soups, the quinoa adds consistency and makes the soup more filling, in addition to being very good for you. As a kid I loved the way the quinoa almost pops when you eat it, it made the soups a little bit playful. There are a quite a few different ways to make quinoa soup, the more traditional Ecuadorian quinoa soup is made with milk and cheese and has a very creamy consistency, this is a lesser known soup that is made with beef, potatoes and peas. In this meaty version the quinoa is cooked separately and added towards the end.

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter

1 cup diced white onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tomatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp of ground achiote or annatto (or paprika)

1 tsp of ground cumin

½ tsp ground white pepper

1lb of beef, cut in medium sized chunks

10 cups of water

2 cups of fresh or frozen peas

2 cups cooked quinoa or quinua (with onion, garlic and broth)

4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

4 tbs finely chopped parsley

2 tbs finely chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

Avocado and aji to serve

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in soup pot.
2. Add the diced onions, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, achiote or paprika, cumin and white pepper, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
3. Add the beef, mix until well coated with the sauce, cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the water, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the meat is tender, about 40 minutes.
6. Add the potatoes, peas and cooked quinoa, increase the heat and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
8. Add the chopped parsley, chopped cilantro and salt to taste.
9. Serve with aji and avocado.

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