Prep the veggies (tomatoes, zucchini, red bell pepper) by cutting them up in to 1-2 inch pieces.
Prepare your soup pot by placing it over your heating source on medium heat and pour 2-3 tbsps of olive oil and allow to come up to temperature.
Slice the shallots and add them to the pot when the oil is hot – which will be apparent when the oil has become fragrant and is smoking just slightly.
Remove the outer layer from the garlic cloves and crush in a garlic crusher or mince with a knife. Add the garlic to the pot.
Add to the soup pot: tomatoes, zucchini, red bell pepper and any more you have decided to add.
Remove the fresh thyme leaves from the hard fibrous stems and drop them in the pot (about 1 Tbsp).
Place the cover on top and allow the ingredients to sweat and start releasing moisture. Check and stir occasionally to make sure the liquids are releasing and that nothing is burning or stuck to the bottom.
When the soup gets to a mild boil, add the vinegar or balsamic glaze.
Continue to monitor the liquid level and take note of how much liquid is in the pot at the start before it starts to evaporate and note how much it reduces. You may want to replace whatever liquid is lost with water or broth(bouillon mixed with water). I ended up adding 4-5 cups of water back (my cooking conditions were unique – cooking outside, over a fire on a cold windy day). In the end, add as much water to it as you need to create the consistency that you desire. This could range from a stew like consistency to a broth with vegetables.
When the vegetable are cooked through, remove the soup from the heating source.
Use a hand held immersion blender to blend any big chunks and to blend about half of the vegetables. Alternatively, if you do not have a handheld stick blender, remove a portion of the soup and any big chunks that are larger than bite size and transfer them to a blender to blend until smooth. Then replace the blended portion.
On the stove top, cook 1 cup of quinoa with 2 cups of water. Bring to boil then lower heat and cover for approximately 15 minutes.
Add the cooked quinoa, olive oil, salt, pepper, juice of 1/2 lemon, chopped basil to the soup pot.
Optional to add a splash of maple syrup for a added layer of sweetness.
Optional to add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a level of spice.
Enjoy the best vegetable soup recipe!