Quinoa and Lentil Soup

Cynthia Mary was served this soup at Holy Theophany Monastery in Olympia, Washington and liked it enough to ask for the recipe. She kindly made it for us and it has been our little one's favorite meal all week.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• Vegetable or olive oil for sautéing
  
• 4 cups of vegetable stock
  
• 2 cups of lentils
• 2/3 cups or more as desired of whole quinoa, thoroughly rinsed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
  

Directions:

1. Brown the onions and garlic with the oil in a soup pot.
2. Add the broth, lentils, and quinoa and bring it to a boil.
3. Turn the soup down to a simmer and cook until tender (30-45 minutes).
4. Add the lemon juice and serve.

Further Information:
Quinoa (said keen-wah) has a light, fluffy texture when cooked, and its mild, slightly nutty flavor makes it an alternative to white rice or couscous. This complete protein source is also high in iron and calcium. To find out more about it, you can read here: http://chetday.com/quinoa.html (the rest of the site is unvetted).

This similar recipe adds carrots and rosemary to the mix. Here's a close-up of the quinoa: