Hearty Spicy Black Bean and Quinoa Soup

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup quinoa
• 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Warm some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the chopped onion, celery, and carrot, and cook them, stirring occasionally, until the onion looks translucent and the veggies are just tender but still have a bit of crunch—about 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper flakes, stirring for about a minute until everything smells amazing.

Step 2

Pour in the chicken broth, water, and quinoa. Bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and let it cook until the quinoa is nice and tender, which should take around 20 minutes.

Step 3

Once the quinoa is ready, stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the black beans, and the corn. Bring the soup back to a simmer and let it cook uncovered for about 5 minutes, just until the beans are warmed through.

Step 4

Finally, taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve it up warm and enjoy!