Fall Vegetable and Quinoa Soup

I'm just going to come right out and say that I LOVE fall cooking-- what a great feeling to gulf down hot and comforting dishes while watching the warm toned leaves falling from the trees, am I right? Fall soups are probably the best way for me to capture the warmth and joy of the season, and this vegetable and quinoa soup will surely give you the boost you need. It is packed with vitamins and minerals to help you get through cold season, or just to give you a little something different during your lunch-time hours. Oh, and you can never go wrong with a large bowl of colorful veggies!

Ingredients:

- 3 carrots

- 3 stalks celery

- handful of fingerling potatoes

- 1 can pink beans (can be substituted with cannelinni beans)

- 1 large red onion

- 4 cloves garlic

- handful of kale (Tuscan or curly)

- 1 cup quinoa

- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (can be substituted with fresh tomato)

- 1 tbsp. red chili flakes

- 2 quarts chicken stock (can be substituted with vegetable stock or water)

- 1 tbsp. garlic powder

- salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

- parsley

- shaved parmesan

Directions:

First, dice up the carrots, celery, potatoes, and onion into a medium dice and mince the cloves of garlic. To a dutch oven (or any large thick pot), add olive oil and start to sautee the vegetables until they start to turn translucent. Add in the can of pink beans, diced tomatoes, and quinoa and stir to combine. Let it simmer on low for about five minutes. Add in the salt, pepper, red chili flakes, and garlic powder. Add the kale and the chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil. After this, simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. To serve, add parsley and parmesan shavings, enjoy!