I get such satisfaction watching Sophie eat organic, whole foods. Tonight she devoured my Broccoli, Spinach & Quinoa Soup.  This is a tasty and satisfying recipe and certainly tastes better than it reads if you are skeptical of vegetables. Getting kids to eat vegetables can be challenging.  It’s the green foods that tend to be left on the table or dropped purposely onto the floor. The dark leafy green vegetables, like kale, spinach and arugula are also difficult for toddlers to chew. Blending or puréeing these nutrient-dense, dark leafy greens is  effective and flavorful .  Kirk and I enjoyed the soup with a raw kale salad while Sophie had some cauliflower, carrots and lentils on the side. This is the first and only photo I took before the glass bowl shattered on the floor.

Broccoli, Spinach & Quinoa Soup

• 1 Tablespoon of grapeseed oil (this oil is safe to cook at higher heats)
• 1 clove of chopped garlic
• ½ yellow onion
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into small florets
• 2 ½ cups water
• ¼ tsp of salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup spinach
• ½ cup cooked quinoa

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and sauté for a minute or until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for four minutes or until bright green. Add the water, salt and pepper, bring to boil, lower the heat and cover. Cook for 8-minutes or until the broccoli is tender. Either pour the soup into a blender and puree with the spinach until smooth OR use an immersion blender directly into the saucepan to puree the soup. Mix in the cooked quinoa.