Quinoa soup, a delicious Peruvian recipe!
Peru is a country like no other. With overwhelming nature, the ubiquitous legacy of the Inca Empire and gastronomy that is among the best in the world. During our trip, I had the opportunity to prepare some typical dishes with Chef Nacho of Hotel Sol y Luna. One of them was this delicious quinoa soup, a recipe that is really worth trying!
What is quinoa?
Quinoa was originally grown in the Andes but has since found its way into European cuisine. Together with corn and potatoes, it lies at the roots of Peruvian cuisine. Quinoa comes in several varieties; apparently there are more than 100 of them. The most common ones are white and red quinoa, but black quinoa also exists. Quinoa comes in seeds, as a flower, in flakes or puffed and you can use it in many different types of dishes.
Is quinoa healthy?
Quinoa is high in protein and rich in the necessary amino acids and vitamins for survival. In addition, the crop does not contain gluten, a big difference from grains. So you can digest it more easily and it does not cause intolerances.
Cooking quinoa, this is how you do it
Quinoa should always be rinsed thoroughly. It contains saponin, a soapy substance that gives the product a very bitter taste.
White and red quinoa needs to cook for 15 minutes. For black quinoa, you need 25 minutes. If you want to combine different varieties in your dish, you need to take this into account. For one part white and red quinoa, you need two parts water. For black quinoa, the proportion becomes 1 to 3.
Ingredients for quinoa soup
- 1 finely chopped shallot
- 75 g mixed red and white quinoa
- 1 carrot
- 1 celery stalk
- 100 grams green beans
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons haloumi or diced feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro
- 100 ml condensed milk
- 750 ml chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon rapeseed or corn oil
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper and to taste
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Rinse the quinoa
Rinse the white and red quinoa until the water runs clear. Then boil the quinoa in 150 ml of water for 15 minutes over medium heat. After the cooking time, turn off the heat and let the quinoa rest for another 10 minutes
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Making the soup
While the quinoa rests, start to prepare the soup. First, wash the vegetables. Peel the carrot and also remove the threads from the celery. Cook the beans until they are still slightly crunchy. Then cut the vegetables small cubes.
Next, finely chop the shallot and clove of garlic. Now heat the oil and gently sauté the shallot and garlic until tender, then add the carrot, celery and beans. Simmer for a few more minutes and add the cooked quinoa. Finely, add the cheese and cilantro as well.
![SG 48 quinoa soup]()
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Finishing
Add the broth to the pot, season with salt and pepper and let the soup simmer gently. Next, beat the egg in a bowl and mix with the condensed milk. Finally, add the egg mixture to the soup and simmer gently for a few more minutes. The ingredients should be cooked, but not limp
