Healthy and Delicious can co-exist in this hearty vegetable soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Latin American, Vegetarian

Servings: 8 Servings

Author: Tony Bailey

  • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 cup Onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup Celery finely chopped
  • 1 cup Carrot finely chopped
  • 1 cup Red Bell Pepper finely chopped
  • 1 15 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes rinsed
  • 4 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 4 cups Flavorful Stock
  • 4 cups Water
  • 1 cup Red Lentils
  • 1 cup Quinoa
  • 1 cup Chopped Spinach
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 2 teaspoons Achiote Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Yellow Aji Pepper optional
  • 2 tablespoons Cilantro
  1. In a large stockpot, cook the onion, celery, carrot and red pepper in the olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes until clear and softened
  2. Boil 1 cup of the water and use it to dissolve the achiote paste, aji paste & the tomato paste. Both the tomato and achiote pastes are notorious for clumping in your soup if they aren’t thoroughly dissolved before introducing.
  3. Add this mixture, along with the remaining water, stock, tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro to the pot
  4. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the lentils, quinoa, spinach and bay leaves
  5. Cook for 1 hour, or until the lentils and quinoa are cooked thoroughly
  6. Remove the bay leaves, serve into bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro