This post was written by Exact Sciences' Danielle Bashirullah, Director, Service and Support.

Soups are my new favorite dish to make. I’m not just talking about a great cup of soup to go with your sandwich, I’m talking about a soup that stands alone (or maybe with some bread or a mixed green salad.) 

They can be a made ahead of time for a healthy and light dinner. Best of all, the whole family will happily eat them.

My revived interest in soups came after I had my daughter almost two and a half years ago. I had to find healthy dinners that I could have ready quickly. I was looking for dinners that fed the whole family because as a working mom, I don’t have time to make one dinner for adults and one for a hungry child.

I happened upon some great soup recipes and this spurred me to try more of them. I avoided soups with lots of cream and/or butter and instead focused on those with lentils and/or vegetables. I make some of my longer recipe favorites on the weekend so they are on hand for dinner during the week.

The one below is one I found somewhere along the way that I put my own twist on. It can be made ahead of time, but also comes together easily for a quick weeknight meal.

Feel free to customize it by varying herbs, using a different mix of beans, using different greens, or adding vegetables. I’ve also made it with some additional protein by adding some leftover cooked chicken when adding the spinach.

Beans and Greens with Quinoa - Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbs olive oil

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

½ cup quinoa

¾ tsp dried oregano

1 or 2 bay leaves

1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups spinach

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan or asiago

Directions

Pour olive oil in large saucepan or stock pot and heat over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3 minutes, add the garlic and sauté for one more minute. Add the bay leaves, oregano, quinoa then the stock. 

Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid and stir in beans. Add the spinach, and cook a few minutes to wilt. Remove bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan.

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