White Bean Soup with Quinoa and Greens

Ingredients:

3 TBS Olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 (or more - see note) 15.5 oz cans white beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tube tomato paste
6-7 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
1/2 cup quinoa, soaked for 5 minutes and thoroughly rinsed (do not skip this step)
1 bunch kale, Swiss chard or spinach, washed and slivered
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sherry vinegar (at table)

Heat oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until just tender (5-8 minutes). Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and combine with other ingredients. Add stock and simmer ~20 minutes. Add beans and quinoa, cover and simmer until quinoa is cooked (tiny threads are visible), approximately 20 minutes. Remove lid, stir in slivered greens and cook an additional 5-8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a splash of sherry vinegar

Note: We found that this recipe could accommodate 1 1/2 - 2 cans of white beans which may also require some adjustment on the amount of stock. We started with 6 cups and when reheating leftovers, added 1/2 cup more.