Tomato-Fennel Soup with Garbanzo Beans & Quinoa

Dear Readers,
You may remember when I posted a tomato bisque with quinoa recipe in January. I decided to expand on that recipe as the base for this more complex soup. What I love about this recipe is how all the textures combine: the tomato puree, the slight crunch of the tiny quinoa grains, and the softness of the garbanzos. The fennel and tomato compliment each other with a sweet and tangy bite. Honey softens the acidity of the tomatoes, without being overly sugary. You could substitute for the quinoa: brown rice, barley or couscous. By now you should know how much I love quinoa. If you buy your quinoa in the bulk bin, at say Winco Foods, you will cut the cost in half! Plus I'm trying to increase the protein in my diet to accommodate for my recent increase in exercise. This soup is also easy on the budget and cooks up in a few simple steps in about 45 minutes, including prep time. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free and virtually fat-free. Yet it is substantial and satisfying. It's a big pot of soup, which lasts me all week as lunch to bring to work. Enjoy the recipe. I love hearing from you so please send me comments to let me know what you think.

In Health & Joy,
Miss Jolie Ann

p.s. I wrote this recipe while listening to Def Leppard "Love Bites" because sometime you just need a little old school Def Leppard, right Michelle?

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Garbanzo Beans & Quinoa
6 servings

1 yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2-28 oz cans of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cups water
1 tbsp honey
1 cup unsweetened plain soymilk
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup cooked quinoa

1. Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a stock pot for a few minutes. Add the onions and the sea salt. Saute for about 10 minutes until onions are soft and started to become translucent. Add the basil, oregano, and marjoram. Stir and let cook for 1 minute until the herbs become fragrant. Add the fennel and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes more.
2. Add the tomatoes and water. Stir. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Remove pot from heat. Add the honey and stir well. Let soup cool, uncovered, for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Once soup is cool you can puree it either in the pot with an immersion blender or in batches in your food processor. Before pureeing, reserve 1 cup of the soup. Once soup is pureed return it to the pot and back to the stove on medium heat. Add the reserved cup of un-pureed soup, and the soymilk. Stir well. Add the quinoa and garbanzo beans. Stir and cook briefly over medium heat until everything is warm & combined. Taste soup for flavors and add desired amount of sea salt to your taste. If soup is too acidic for your taste add another tsp of honey.