Today, after two weeks of traipsing through mountains and jungles and cities and mountains and beaches and oh, did I mention mountains? I had to go back to the office. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. But like any other human on Earth, I’d rather be off exploring new lands on a family adventure.
And what an adventure it was. Our 12-day trip, which began on beaches of Lima, featured stops in the Amazon, Cuzco (capital of the Inca Empire), Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca (the highest navigable lake in the world). It was my first straight sight-seeing trip in a while, and the first “just” family vacation we’d taken in years, so naturally, I have 27,393 photos to dig through and clean up for you.
But in the meantime, let’s talk food. Each region of Peru has its own staples: Lima, which is on the Pacific coast, showcases its supremely fresh fish in the city’s famous ceviche, in which raw seafood is lightly tossed with lime juice, chilis and little else. Andean cities feature heartier fare. They grow hundreds of different types of potatoes in the mountains, and serve them alongside everything, a dream for this tater-lovin’ gal. The Amazon’s diversity of fruits and vegetables drives much of the cooking there, though freshwater fish is also very popular.
Given such a wide array of culinary options, I went H.A.M., taking full advantage of breakfast buffets at our hotels each morning and the 3-course menús that are so common for lunch and dinner. I ate so much during the first week of our trip that my body literally cried “uncle”.* For two days, I suffered through a horrible stomachache, stuck with soups and light sandwiches while my family gorged on slices of crispy, wood-fired pizza (which is weirdly a big thing in Cuzco — all the locals recommended pizza) and lomo saltado, a saute of beef tenderloin, onions and peppers that is served with rice AND French fries.
And then I discovered quinoa soup. A staple of the Andean region, where meat is often scarce but quinoa and potatoes are not, the soup was light enough to soothe my stomach but still filling and flavorful. Peruvian cuisine doesn’t use too many spices beyond chili peppers — they rely on herbs such as oregano and lemon verbena (called herba Luisa there) to flavor their food — so the soup was like heaven to my overburdened stomach.
When I got home from work today, I wanted nothing more than a big bowl of quinoa soup. And since we’re probably all a bit overburdened after the excesses of Thanksgiving, this is the perfect recipe to step back for a minute and give our bodies a warm, wholesome break. At least until holiday cookie season starts …
*This is no lie. The meal that finally did me in? Our last breakfast in Machu Picchu, in which I ate (in one sitting): 1 omelette with mushrooms, spinach, onions, tomatoes and cheese + 1 slice of toast with butter + 1 piece of farmer’s cheese + 1 waffle with dulce de leche and elderberry jam + 1 croissant dipped in dulce de leche + a bowl of fruit. You know, to be healthy.
More on my Peruvian adventures soon!
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Peruvian Quinoa Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 of a large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2-inch ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1 quart low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups diced yellow potatoes
- 1–1/2 cups diced butternut squash
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrots and celery and saute on medium heat until the onions begin to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add the quinoa and toast, stirring often, until the seeds brown slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, oregano, paprika, salt (go easy on this, since the stock is pre-salted), pepper, bay leaves, potatoes and butternut squash. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer the soup for 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender. Taste and adjust seasonings, then stir in the chopped cilantro and serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Sounds yummy, perfect for spring.
I was in Peru in March. Ditto to all your comments and observations. It was amazing that it seemed I was always walking up hill. We had quinoa soup at the place we stayed in the Amazon. Can’t wait to try your recipe. I’ve made lomo saltada, with pisco sours, of course, a few times to rave reviews. Loved the country, the people and the food.
Lynn, I would love your lomo saltado recipe–that was one of my favorites when I was there!
I actually found a recipe on all recipes that I thought came out great. Here’s the link:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Peruvian-Lomo-Saltado/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=lomo%20saltado&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1
If the link doesn’t work, just search Peruvian loom saltado. Enjoy!
Delicious! Tastes just like the one I had on Titicaca. Thank you!!!
Was this on one of the islands on Lake Titicaca where the locals cooked for you? I’ve been trying to find this recipy for ages!
Where did you find the quinoa soup recipe? We took our Peru trip in Dec/Jan 2014 and I have been trying to find a recipe that is as good as it was over there– specifically the amazon & isle taquille. I’m very excited to try your recipe!!
Hi Allie! I kind of made up this recipe, based on what I remembered the soup tasted like (we tried ours on Taquile too!) — I can’t promise it’ll be 100% authentic, but I’d love to hear what you think!
Wow, I look like I have no idea how to spell! Sorry for the errors; glad nothing was auto corrected in an inappropriate way. Going to have a bowl of your quinoa soup. Yum.
I was in Peru in May and loved the quinoa soup! We were fortunate to see the quinoa fields in Ollantaytambo. I have been trying to find a recipe and then I came across yours today. I am looking forward to making some! Thank you!
had something similar in cusco about a block from theain square and have been trying to track down the recipe to no avail.
it was a quinoa porridge with just chicken and i assume chicken bouillon (sp?). a lady and her mother who came to cusco to shop waved me over and told me i should try it.
everytime i think about it my mouth waters.
on the island of Taquile I had the most memorable Quinoa soup ever…hope this from there….
Has anyone seen this soup made with egg? When I was in the Andes there was this soup but it had hard boiled small pieces off egg and was so good. Trying to find recipe with it or I guess I could just add at the end?
Hi Lori, thanks for your question! I didn’t have a version with eggs in it, but yes, you could always add diced hard-boiled eggs in at the end!
Just came back from Peru and I wanted to make their veggie quinoa soup. I followed your recipe and it came out delicious. My boyfriend does not like soups and he has 3 bowls! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed it Marysol! Thanks so much for your comment!
I’m just finishing up a trip in Peru as I type, and couldn’t bear the thought of never having this soup again. So glad I came across your recipe! Looking forward to making it when I get home.
Let me know how you like it! Hope you had an amazing trip to Peru — it’s such a beautiful place, isn’t it?
Great soup! It really reminded me of the soup I had in Peru 11 years ago. I did add a bit to make it more creamy. I boiled half of the pumpkin with chicken stock and creamed it with about 1/4 C of cream. Then added it to the soup. When the soup was done I added a squeeze of lemon and a tablespoon of creme fraiche. This gave it a bit more bite and also made it nice and creamy. Everyone loved it and I plan to make it again next week 🙂 thanks for a great recipe!!
I was delighted to find your post and recipe. We originally planned our trip for 2020, postponed to 2021, then finally commuted to finally do it this summer. It was glorious. All the things you said, including the 27,000 pictures to sort through, and more. Our family had been sans-COVID until our trip. We finally decided that we needed to be on another continent. Whatever the cost. #worthit. Needless to say, I got it while we were there, my family got it three weeks later. Thankfully we are all vaxed and boosted and so we have had a relatively easy time of it. ALL to SAY … all of us have been craving quinoa soup to help us through our post-vacation blues (and our fates re this tricky virus). Tonight I made your soup and it was perfect. We are feeling whole again and soon we will be back to health – and back to Peru as soon as we can.