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–+ servings

Beef and Vegetable Quinoa Stew: Hearty, Healthy And Easy

Super Healthy, Beef Vegetable Quinoa Stew

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup quinoa (dry)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1½ cups onions, diced
  • 1 pound extra-lean ground beef or 99% ground turkey, see shopping tips
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (24 oz) jar of your favorite pasta sauce, I like Barilla or Classico 
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 2 cups zucchini, chopped (slice zucchini in half and cut into slices)
  • 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 cup red bell peppers, diced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, packed
  • 6 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional topping

Instructions
 

  • Cook quinoa: In a small pot, add ½ cup quinoa and stir in 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, cover, and cook on low heat, until all water is absorbed about 12-15 minutes.
  • In a large nonstick pot, add ground beef, onions, and garlic. Brown beef thoroughly, stirring often and breaking up beef into very small pieces. Once browned, pour into a colander in the sink, to drain the fat.
  • Add beef and onions back to pot. Stir in tomatoes, pasta sauce, beef broth, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings, and black pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil, turn down to simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove cover, stir in spinach, and cooked quinoa. Mix well. Cook 2 more minutes, until spinach is wilted.
  • This soup freezes great!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 269kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 22gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 669mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gBlue Smart Points: 3Green Smart Points: 5Plus Points: 6