By Linda Cicero
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
Quinoa - a great word to know when playing Scrabble - is a South American grain that was a staple of the Incas, who called it "the mother grain." I was introduced to it by reader Elaine Birdsong of Gray, Ga., who wrote asking for a soup recipe.
Birdsong discovered quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) in Peru, but it is readily available at health-food markets. Its taste and texture remind me of barley.
Quinoa has more protein than any other grain and is 50 percent higher in fiber than wheat. It's also gluten-free. You can learn more and find recipes and a mail-order source at quinoa.bigstep.com.
Quinoa is basically prepared like rice, with two parts water to one part grain. You bring the two to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. It's done when all the grains have turned from white to transparent, and the spiral-like germ has separated.
L. R. of Miami sent a soup recipe she says originated in Ecuador. I've translated it from Spanish and simplified it somewhat. You can use a meat or vegetable broth or stock as the base. Another reader says a quinoa soup recipe is passed around at Weight Watchers meetings that simply calls for cooking the grain in tomato soup for a filling meal.
QUINOA SOUP
1 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon ground cumin or annatto
4 cups broth or stock
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well
1 cup chopped potatoes, squash and/or tomatoes
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
Salt and pepper
Chopped cilantro
Fresh lime wedges
In a heavy pot, saute the onions and garlic in the oil until soft. Stir in the cumin, broth, quinoa, 2 cups water and chopped vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender and quinoa grains have opened. Add the corn and cook 3 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges to squeeze into the soup. Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 227 calories (30 percent from fat), 7.6 g fat (0.9 g saturated, 1.7 g monounsaturated), 0 cholesterol, 8.7 g protein, 32.7 g carbohydrates, 3.4 g fiber, 530 mg sodium.
© 2003, The Miami Herald.
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
