This recipe was a collaborative effort between Geoff and me.  Quinoa potato soup was a staple in Ecuador where Geoff spent a year studying in college.  We made up a recipe based upon his memory of an Ecuadorean soup.  Due to an abundance of summer squash in the garden we added that in, and  I thought a bit of fresh cilantro wouldn’t hurt.  It still seemed to need a little more spark so Geoff added some chipotle peppers that we had left over from another dish.  Before I knew it he had 2 of the peppers in the pot.  Whew!  That’s where the sour cream came in – to dull the heat somewhat!  It turned out to be a very tasty soup but a wee bit hot for most of us except, of course, Geoff.

The picture above shows the soup ingredients, much of which came from the garden.  If it sounds interesting to you, give it a try.  Just add the peppers incrementally giving them time to mingle with the other flavors.

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 medium to large potatoes, cubed

1 medium summer squash, cubed

½ cup quinoa

½ – 1 (or to taste) chipotle pepper, finely chopped

½ cup chopped cilantro

8 cups broth or water

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper

Sour cream for garnish

Sauté onions for 3-5 minutes until softened & add garlic for about 1 minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients except sour cream and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Check for seasonings & serve with a dollop of sour cream and more cilantro if you wish.