Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Hummus Chicken Soup

Here we are, in the midst of winter…

trying our best to enjoy the season,

which can be tough without snow on the ground.

I'd give anything to get out skiing, sledding, skating or snow shoeing this weekend, 

but there just isn't enough white stuff on the ground around here. 

Thankfully, 

we were able to travel north last weekend to enjoy

the fabulous outdoors on about a foot and a half of ice…

drilling holes and hoping for fish to bite. 

On these winter days,

nothing hits the spot like a Grilled Cheese 

(click on the link for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich)

and a hearty bowl of soup. 

Today I want to share with you a fabulous twist on 

traditional tomato soup….

Roasted Red Pepper Quinoa and Hummus Chicken Soup

which is good enough to eat on it's own…

or perfect for dipping a toasted cheese sandwich. 

Starting with some sautéed chicken…

although, 

slow cooker chicken is my favorite. 

like I did here! 

So tender, juicy and done when you need it. 

Next, 1 cup of quinoa is cooked in 2 cups of water (or broth).

And, if you haven't tried quinoa yet…

what are you waiting for?!?

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a huge hit in my house, 

even my kids prefer it over rice

and it is a superfood packed with both protein and fiber!  

One 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers is drained and added to the blender

along with 2 cups of chicken broth and

1/3 cup of hummus. 

Once blended, add it to a sauce pan over medium heat,

 as a future home for the rest of the ingredients. 

About 1 cup of cooked, chopped chicken

was added to the pan. 

And then the quinoa, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. 

The longer it sits, the more moisture the quinoa absorbs, 

so feel free to add more broth according to your preference. 

We like our soups thick around here! 

Serve it up with your favorite grilled cheese

and you might just start to appreciate winter a little more! 

RECIPE:

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken

1 cup of quinoa

2 cups of water (or broth)

12 oz jar of roasted red peppers

2 cups of chicken broth

1/3 cup of hummus

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

• Cook quinoa according to instructions. 
• Drain jar of roasted red peppers, add to blender along with broth and hummus. Puree. 
• Pour puree from blender into sauce pan. Add quinoa and chicken, salt and garlic. 
• Simmer until heated thoroughly. 
• Serve as meal or with your favorite Grilled Cheese.