Untamed Medicine

This soup is a nice hearty meal. The quinoa is full of protein and is one of the only foods that has all nine of the essential amino acids. Green veggies are also full of vitamins and minerals as well as a great source of fiber.

Ingredients (all of the veggies are just a rough estimate, add as much or as little as you want, it is your soup!!). The quantities I use will make a good amount of soup, enough to fill up my medium size pot 1/2 way. You can adjust the amount of soup by adding more or less vegetable and quinoa.

• 1/2 of an onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of all the veggies you put in, I typically have the following veggies that I put in
  • broccoli
  • zucchini
  • kale
  • green beans
  • asparagus
• 1/2 cup of quinoa
• 3-5 cups veggie broth (you can use water if you do not have any veggie broth on hand, the broth is just more flavorful)
  • note: quinoa is typically a 1 to 2 ratio quinoa to water. If you like your soups with liquid then add more water, but if you like it thicker then add less.
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp each: balsamic, coconut aminos, liquid aminos (can use soy sauce instead)
• salt/pepper
• (optional) dried herbs like thyme, oregano, parsley, etc.
• (optional) toppings: avocado, lime, jalapeño, nettles & fresh herbs

Directions:

1. Put oil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, any dried herbs you choose in a pan until you can smell a nice aroma, and everything is a little cooked down (about 7 minutes on medium low).
2. Chop up the veggies and sauté with the onions for a few minutes.
3. Add quinoa, broth, and the rest of the seasonings. Add in the chopped kale right before the quinoa is almost done.
4. Cook until quinoa and veggies are soft.
5. Turn off heat and enjoy!

Stinging nettles are now in season! They are super high in iron and other essential vitamins and minerals. In the spring time wild greens are so rich and good for us because they are putting all the energy back into the leaves! I love adding nettles on top of the soup for a pop of flavor.

Hence the STING part, you want to boil them real quick (like a minute or two) to eliminate the sting. Then put into a pan with oil, salt, pepper, and any other seasonings you would like. Just to save dishes I will put the nettles into the pan and add some water, then when it evaporates I will add the oil and seasonings to the same pan.