Minestrone Dill Quinoa Soup

This is a great soup to send for school lunches or use as a side dish. We had it with turkey bratwurst and cabbage salad and it was delicious.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup orange pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup celery
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of thyme
2 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tbls dill
6 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup black beans (or your favorite kind)
1/2 cup gluten penne noodles (optional)
1/4 - 1 cup Quinoa (depending on desired thickness)

I used 1/2 cup quinoa and it soaked up most of the broth. The next time I make this recipe I plan to use only 1/4 cup. If you are reducing your grains you could eliminate the pasta.

To make a true minestrone you can add 10oz of chopped tomatoes, but if you have arthritis, joint pains or other painful conditions it is best to avoid tomatoes.

Instructions:
Heat oil and butter, add onion, garlic and chopped vegetables. Cook until softened.

Add spices, parsley and pinch of celtic salt. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes.

Add cabbage, beans, macaroni and Quinoa. Cover and simmer 1/2 hour. You can make this and let it sit on low on the stove until you are ready for dinner.

This recipe is adapted from Quinoa.com