Chicken and Quinoa Minestrone

Foodie Friday: Warm up for the first weekend of winter with a hearty Chicken and Quinoa Minestrone soup.

Ingredients:
Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 6 c chicken stock
• 800g can diced tomatoes
• 425g can kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• 2/3 cups quinoa, rinsed
• 1/2 bunch kale, thick stems discarded and leaves torn
• 170g green beans, trimmed and halved

Garlic Herb Sauce

• 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon zest
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Combine onion, carrots, fennel, garlic, stock, tomatoes, beans, basil, oregano, bay leaf, Parmesan rind (if desired), and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Top with chicken. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender and chicken is cooked through, on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Discard bay leaf and cheese rind. Remove chicken, discard bones, and shred meat; return to the slow cooker.
3. Stir in quinoa, kale, and green beans. Cover and cook until quinoa is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Garlic Herb Sauce: Pulse parsley, basil, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, and red pepper flakes in a food processor until finely chopped, 15 to 20 times. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe: Country Living