Turkey Quinoa Soup

This recipe was the first one I have ever used quinoa for. It turned out to be really good but the quinoa was a bit overcooked making the soup a little big thicker and mushy. Overall it tasted great! Here is the link to the recipe, Turkey Quinoa Soup :)

INGREDIENTS AND INSTRUCTIONS:

• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter

Chop the above vegetables and place in a soup pot. Saute for 8 min., or until the onions start to turn opaque. Add the remaining ingredients and continue to saute until the quinoa starts to become slightly toasted.

• 1 tsp thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup quinoa

After a few minutes on medium heat, add the chicken stock and noodles and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the noodles and quinoa are soft. After they are soft, add the shredded turkey or chicken, the cream (or half & half) and the parsley. Season with extra salt, pepper and cayenne pepper as needed. 

• 7-8 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup small shell noodles
• 3-4 cups leftover turkey (or chicken)
• Pint heavy cream, half & half or milk
• 1 tsp parsley
• Dash cayenne
• 1 cup frozen peas (optional, adds extra color if you wish--just add the last few minutes of cooking time)