Creamy Chicken & Quinoa Soup

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
3 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, sliced very thin
1 envelope of dry chicken gravy
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup uncooked quinoa

Bring the broth, onion and gravy mix to a boil.  Cut cream cheese into small pieces and add to liquid.  Whisk until blended.  Bring back to a boil and add quinoa.  Lower heat to a slow simmer.  Add chicken.  Cook 20-25 minutes or until quinoa is tender and has white, spiral-like threads around each grain.  Easily serves 8.

Comment:  This was a clean out my pantry recipe that I made up as I went along finding ingredients.  It is creamy and so delicious.  The gravy mix had enough salt that I didn't have to add anymore.  The gravy and cream cheese gave it the creamy texture that made it perfect.  If you don't like quinoa, try making this using small pasta noodles.  Either way you make it, I believe you'll like it enough to make over and over.  You can also add a little cheese for another added flavor.  When not eaten immediately, this becomes a side dish with the quinoa soaking up the liquids.  I have a friend who ate it both ways and loved it both ways.

CHICKEN, BROCCOLI, QUINOA CASSEROLE RECIPE

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts (sliced into strips)

1 16 oz bag fresh broccoli florets

1 cup quinoa (uncooked and rinsed)

1 cup 2% milk

3 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tsp poultry seasoning

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonfat cooking spray.

Place a medium sized saucepan over medium high heat, and pour in 2 cups of the broth and 1/2 cup milk. Bring to a boil, then whisk in the flour, poultry seasoning and remaining 1/2 cup milk. Whisk well until the sauce is creamy and smooth. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Pour into a large bowl.  To the large bowl of sauce, add remaining 1 cup broth and quinoa, and mix well.

Place broccoli florets evenly into baking dish, pour quinoa and sauce mixture over the broccoli.

Season chicken strips with salt and pepper and lay them evenly over top of the casserole.

Cover with foil, and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir around a bit.

Return to oven, uncovered this time, and bake for another 10-12 minutes or until chicken is golden brown, and quinoa grains are cooked and tender.

Remove from oven and top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Makes 6 servings – 1 cup each

Comment:  I made this using cooked chicken and it worked great.  The combined flavors of the chicken, broccoli and quinoa are simply delicious.  The 2 food testers that were fortunate enough to try this both loved it.  It does make a lot and I had enough left over for the next day and it was even better reheated.  The flavors had blended and I enjoyed it even more.  I did use colby cheese instead of the mozzarella but that was the only change I made.

Southwestern Quinoa Black Bean Chicken Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. (4 oz.) Urbane Grain Quinoa Southwest Black Bean
2 qts. of water

Boil the two chicken breasts in the 2 qts. of water until done.  Remove chicken, allow to cool and shred.  Strain the chicken water/broth.  Return to the water/broth to the pot.  Bring to a boil and add the Quinoa Southwest Black Bean and chicken.  Cook until quiona is done, about 35-40 minutes.  Serves 6-8.

Martha:  When I worked up this dish I had no idea how it would come out.  I did as I always do and that is to Think With My Taste Buds.  Well, I'm here to tell you that this soup is delicious!  And it's healthy too.  Since I'm trying to eat gluten free, which the  Urban Quinoa Blends are, this dish worked perfectly into my diet.  I enjoyed it with my gluten free pretzels and had a perfectly delicious, healthy, filling meal.   This is a dish I'll be making often.

Carol:  Thanks so much for a sample of your new soup.  You know that we are always looking for delicious "white" dishes and this was superb because we love the Southwest seasonings, the healthiness of the quinoa and the lightness of the "white" chicken dish.  Using these ingredients in a soup is perfect for us because we tend to like the delicious flavors together with the ease of preparation and digestion and nutrients offered in this dish.  It tastes like some very trendy soups now found on restaurant menus and we like to think of ourselves as being right up to date.  This Southwest soup hits the spot!!!!

Sharon:  I wish I had been lucky enough to have a second bowl of this delicious dish!