Beef & Quinoa Soup

Here is how I do my grocery shopping when I find a recipe: I think about any changes that I want to make  & then I directly follow the ingredient list.  I do not deviate, even if I am skeptical.  Sometimes that causes problems in terms of the outcome.  This is one of those times.

I found this recipe on Pinterest & decided to make it for us for lunch this week.  The only change that I made ahead of time was to use ground beef.  For everything else, I tried to keep it the same...and then I had to try to fix it at the end.  The recipe calls for water and no broth.  Before my alterations, the "soup" tasted like, well, beef & vegetables in water.  If I made this again, I would definitely use beef broth or at least a combination of water & broth.

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter

1 c. onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. green pepper, chopped

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground white pepper

1lb ground beef

10 c. beef broth/water combination

1 c. frozen peas

1 c. frozen corn

2 c. cooked quinoa

4 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large soup pot.

Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers & seasonings.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the beef & cook for a few more minutes, until pink is gone.

It is here that the pictures stop because it is here that things started going awry.  I added the water and boiled it for probably 20 minutes, mostly because I kept hoping something other than beef & veggies in water would magically appear.  At this point, I abandoned my recipe & started flying by the seat of my pants.  {Much to the chagrin of my parents!}, I am most comfortable {in too many aspects of my life} when flying by the seat of my pants. 

I added some soup base (chicken flavor, because it was all I had) in hopes of giving it some flavor, along with some seasonings -- garlic salt, seasoned salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, basil, pepper & paprika).  I didn't measure anything, I just kept adding it.  Then tasting it.  Then freaking out at the water taste.  Then adding it.

Add the potatoes, peas, corn & quinoa.  Reduce the heat & let it simmer for 25-30 minutes.  I set the timer for 5 minute intervals to taste test it.  I probably added seasonings 4 more times before being satisfied.

I really enjoyed the quinoa in soup (something I didn't think about combining) and the beef & quinoa combination.  I also really liked the flavor in the end.  And I probably would still use mostly water with just a few cups of beef broth.  I would also go into it being mentally prepared (so I could avoid a freak out) to use tons of seasonings because ultimately the seasonings are what gave the soup the unique flavor.