Gluten Free, Vegetarian
In this recipe quinoa enriches a rustic, rich tomato soup with protein and its distinct texture. We’ve recently got some fantastic Australian grown quinoa in, and we highly recommend it! Just beware as it needs to be rinsed very thoroughly (at least twice) before cooking to remove the unpleasant saponin coating, which is quinoa’s natural pest deterrent.
Ingredients (serves 4)
16 medium sized round tomatoes
1 tsp sea salt
cracked black pepper
1 bulb garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
750 ml vegetable stock
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp feta cheese
2 Tbsp snipped chives
Method
1. Preheat oven 160°C. Chop tomatoes into eighths, toss in a colander with pepper and salt and set in the sink to drain for 15 minutes (the salt will draw moisture from the tomatoes). Arrange tomatoes in a large roasting dish or two- they should not be crowded- with garlic bulb. Drizzle with olive oil and roast for about an hour, until tomatoes are shrunken and sweet to taste and garlic is soft.
2. When the garlic is cool enough to touch squeeze pulp into a food processor with tomatoes, spices and stock (swirl it around in the roasting pan to dislodge any yummy remnants first). Pulse on medium, stopping before the soup is completely smooth- a little bit of texture is good. Transfer to a saucepan with quinoa, heat gently and adjust seasoning, keeping in mind that the feta will add saltiness.
3. Serve topped with feta, chives and cracked black pepper.
For 1 cup cooked quinoa: Wash ¾ cup quinoa thoroughly and combine in small saucepan with 1 cup water. Bring to the boil covered and simmer gently for about 12 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
