Quinoa Chowder

1 cup quinoa
6 cups mushroom or vegetable broth
2 cups water
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 cups spinach, washed and chopped
about 7 shiitake or crimini mushrooms (more, of course, if you like)
1 cup frozen corn, or fresh if you have it
1 tsp. soy sauce
salt and pepper

1. Wash the quinoa and put into a large pot along with four cups of broth (I did two cups broth + two cups water). Add the garlic. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, thinly slice and sautee the mushrooms in a frying pan in a little olive oil over low heat until soft. Add a dash of soy sauce if you like.

3. When the quinoa is cooked, add two more cups of broth, the spinach and corn, and cook a few minutes. Add the mushrooms and stir well to combine. Add the rest of the broth and simmer for 10 minutes to combine flavors, adding more water of broth if you want a more soupy chowder. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve very hot.

Notes: I say “salt and pepper to taste” because in this case it’s definitely dependent on personal taste. For example, I added a lot of pepper because I always like pepper when I’m feeling under the weather, but it’s not absolutely necessary. Also, add a bit of water to the leftovers to get the broth going again, as the quinoa will absorb a lot of the liquid (look at it like a ‘never-ending’ pot o soup).