Amaranth, Quinoa, and Corn Chowder

(4)
  • Number of Servings: 6
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter1 1/2 cups finely chopped leeks (white and light green parts)1 cup finely diced celery (remove “strings” by peeling celery before dicing)1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper1 teaspoon salt, or to taste1/4 cup amaranth1/2 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed1/4 teaspoon dried thyme4 cups fresh or defrosted, frozen corn kernels1 cup whole milk2 tablespoons minced parsley
Directions
Instructions
In a large, heavy pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the leeks, celery, red bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the amaranth and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the quinoa and thyme. Return to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook at a gentle boil, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, puree 3 cups of the corn kernels with 1 cup of water. When the quinoa has cooked for 10 minutes, stir the corn puree and remaining whole corn kernels into the soup. Add salt to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer until the quinoa and amaranth are tender, 3 to 5 more minutes. When the quinoa is done, there will be no starchy white dot in the center of each grain, and some of the germs’ “tails” may unfurl and float freely. On close inspection, the amaranth will look like tiny opaque bubbles floating on the surface.

Stir in the milk and remaining tablespoon of butter. Divide into portions and garnish each with a little parsley.

Note: The soup thickens on standing; thin as needed with additional milk and add salt to taste.

Variations
For dots of color, use 2 tablespoons of red quinoa and a scant 1/2 cup ivory quinoa. Add the red quinoa when you add the amaranth.
Use half-and-half or heavy cream instead of milk.
Use dried tarragon instead of thyme.

Shrimp, Corn, and Quinoa Soup: Instead of water, use 4 cups of fish or clam broth. Use oregano instead of the thyme. Once quinoa is tender, add 1/2 pound peeled, small shrimp. Cook until the shrimp turn pink, about 1 minute. Omit the milk.

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LIBERTYM.

Servings Per Recipe: 6
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 223.4
  • Total Fat: 9.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 19.7 mg
  • Sodium: 42.2 mg
  • Total Carbs: 29.3 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 3.9 g
  • Protein: 6.6 g

Member Reviews
  • ERIN_POSCH
    tried this but it really wasn't a family fave. may have been too much new stuff since we'd never had leeks or amaranth and I don't really care for quinoa in soups. - 10/24/19
  • BHARVILL39
    I was looking for new amaranth recipes and I love this variation. - 3/1/12
  • SKULLYBEE
    there is no amaranth here, is there a substitution for that? - 2/8/11
  • KAYAKCHICKC
    Thanks! A great way to get my veggies! I think next time I will add something to spice/heat it up. - 9/23/10
  • SERENCORGI
    This was one of the better corn chowders I have made. I did add some crumbles of turkey bacon to it and my family loved it!!! I liked it plain with a bit of tumeric, corriander, and cumin added to it. - 5/12/09
  • CONNECTED1
    Thanks for submitting this great recipe. I made the shrimp version, with a few changes, and submitted that also to get an accurate calorie count, - 5/7/09