Tuscan Vegetable & Quinoa Minestrone Soup

Prepare all vegetables by washing throughly and chopping them into chunks or bite-size pieces. Separate the red swiss chard and baby spinach in a bowl and set aside.

Finely chop the garlic cloves and cut the leek into small chunks; place in a large skillet on medium heat and drizzle with good dose of olive oil. Saute until tender and fragrant. Add in the chopped celery and carrots and season to taste; saute for 3-4 minutes until begins to soften and even brown very slightly.

Remove the cooked vegetables, leek and garlic mixture to a bowl and set aside; in the same skillet, add the chopped zucchini and saute for 4-5 minutes until softened and slightly browned.

Remove from heat and using a large soup or stock pot; set the heat to medium high and add in the stock to come to a slow simmer or boil. Once it comes to slow boil, add the sauteed vegetables and zucchini and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes allowing the vegetables to cook.

Add the canned tomatoes and a full can of fresh water (captures all the excess tomatoes in the can) and stir to mix well. Keep the heat on medium high and allow this mixture to cook slowly until it begins to reduce (it should start becoming a bit thicker.)

Add in the red swiss chard and baby spinach and let this simmer for about 4-8 minutes until tender and flavorful. At this time, if the soup is getting too thick; add additional stock or plain water to thin it out and keep at a slow steady simmer.

Continue to cook the soup as it condenses a bit more, add in the prepared quinoa and cook for approximately 5-8 minutes (add additional liquid if needed as the quinoa will also thicken the soup) until tender and cooked through; season to taste and adjust as needed.

Remove from heat and serve immediately with grated cheese to taste and pesto croutons. Set aside to cool and store in well-sealed containers in your refrigerator and freezer for later use, if desired.