Quinoa and Vegetable Stew
It’s that time of year. The 2017 garden is well underway. In fact, we’ve been eating spinach and lettuce out of the garden since March. But I have plenty of leftovers from the 2016 garden remaining in my freezer and pantry. And I’m still working on the tomatoes I canned back in 2015!
So now I’m looking for ways to use up all those yummy veggies I preserved from gardens past before this year’s garden is in full swing. And what easier way to use up a whole bunch of veggies at once than to throw them together into a stew?
A trio of frozen garden veggies
The Recipe
On a recent episode of America’s Test Kitchen, somebody named Becky cooked up a batch of Quinoa and Vegetable Stew. Host Bridget was thrilled. This gave me an idea. I always seem to have quinoa in my pantry yet I rarely ever make the stuff (even though I know it’s supposed to be good for me). Not only did this recipe provide a way to use the bag of quinoa that’s been giving me guilt in my pantry forever, it also gave me a way to use up a whole lot of veggies.
While the America’s Test Kitchen recipe was inspired by the flavors of Peru, my version is more North African in style – but with quinoa as the protein instead of legumes. In a happy spice rack accident, I used a tablespoon of turmeric instead of the paprika that the America’s Test Kitchen recipe called for. But, as my husband declared, it was hard to imagine the stew without a healthy dose of turmeric. (And I do mean healthy – I’ve been reading a lot lately about the health benefits of turmeric.)
Other changes I made from the original recipe to use up more of my preserved veggies include:
- Adding dehydrated celery flakes and frozen grated zucchini
- Using frozen bell pepper pieces instead of fresh (I used chocolate bell pepper instead of red)
- Substituting a quart of canned crushed tomatoes for 3 cups of broth and the fresh chopped tomatoes
- Leaving out the peas (I’ve already used up all of my frozen peas).
I left off the avocado garnish because I didn’t have any on hand. But feta cheese and chopped fresh cilantro made a great garnish.
I will be making this stew again – and not just because it’s an easy way for me to get rid of my 2016 veggies. It gives me a way to use them that’s healthy, delicious, and a little bit exotic.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dehydrated celery flakes (substitute 1 stalk celery, finely chopped)
- 1 cup frozen red bell pepper pieces (substitute 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 quart crushed tomatoes with juice
- 1 pound red potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups grated zucchini, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup prewashed quinoa
- 2 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For garnish: Crumbled feta cheese and chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and paprika and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in broth, crushed tomatoes with juice, and potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in quinoa and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in corn kernels and simmer for another 5-7 minutes, until quinoa and potatoes are tender.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese and chopped cilantro.