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.

Ultimate BLT Grilled Cheese with Pesto Mayo

I will just start by saying that there is no way these pictures can possibly do the deliciousness of this sandwich justice.

What I do hope to convey is the amazing combination of flavors and textures all wrapped up between two slices of toast.

Started by making a pesto mayo with 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 tbsp of pesto.

This is a great way to make use of the time while the bacon is cooking.

The one cup of pesto made last week went a long way,

complimenting at least 3 meals before it was gone.

Then I gathered up all of the freshest, most delicious ingredients to layer together! 

With the two buttered sides of the (gluten free) bread together first…

Slather on a nice thick layer of pesto mayo.

First up, the most important parts of the

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato. 

Then, some extra veggies for flavor and texture…

Onion and green pepper.

Finally, a slice of muenster and onto a hot pan

until perfectly toasted. 

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Pesto Mayo:

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 tbsp of pesto

Ultimate BLT Grilled Cheese:

Butter - at room temp for easy spreading

Bread - one loaf made about 6 sandwiches

Bacon - 12 oz

Lettuce - one head of romaine, utilizing the green, leafy part

Tomato - one large beefsteak 

Onion - thinly sliced

Green pepper - thinly sliced

Muenster cheese - 8 oz sliced

Directions:

Whip up Pesto mayo while bacon is cooking. 

Butter one side of each slice of bread and put them together. 

Start with a layer of pesto mayo. 

Layer on veggies (in any particular order), I went lettuce, tomato, bacon, onion and pepper before the cheese. 

Remove the bottom slice of bread, gently lay the sandwich on the preheated surface, top with 2nd slice of bread.  

Toast for 2-3 minutes/side over medium heat.  

Serve it up with a side of the pesto mayo and your family will be asking for these every week!