The Smoky Quinoa Tomato Collard Bowl That Blessed Me

 

I wasn’t planning to cook anything divine. I was just stretching what I had — a few days out from my next grocery run. No fresh haul, no big plans. Just a smoked turkey bone, some quinoa, a few cans in the cabinet, and a craving for something that felt like care.

I looked at what I had and thought, “I can make something out of this — something real, something balanced.” Not just a pot of ingredients, but a bowl with purpose.

So I started slow — boiling quinoa with the smoked turkey bone and scraps, building a rich broth right from the marrow. I added dried minced onion, paprika, a touch of bouillon, and let the pot speak. Collard greens joined next, torn into the mix like memory. The broth turned golden, the quinoa fluffed up and absorbed every note of smoke and earth.

Just before serving, I reached for the side — a piece of rotisserie chicken I had already seasoned with turmeric, paprika, and Himalayan salt. Tender, golden, and savory, it didn’t go in the bowl — it sat beside it. A companion to the soup, not a part of it. Something to pull from with intention. It grounded the meal. Gave it presence. Made it feel complete.

And when I tasted the bowl? It wrapped itself around the tip of my tongue like warmth I didn’t know I needed. Smoky. Deep. Centered.
A bowl made from the bare things — and still it blessed me.

This reminded me:
you don’t need everything. Just enough, and the wisdom to listen.

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🍲 Smoky Quinoa Tomato Collard Bowl

(served with turmeric rotisserie chicken on the side)

Ingredients (for the bowl):

• 1 cup smoked turkey scraps + bone
• ¾ cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1½ teaspoons chicken bouillon (or to taste)
• 1–2 teaspoons dried minced onion
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• Small pinch turmeric (optional)
• ½–¾ cup canned diced tomatoes
• 2 handfuls chopped collard greens
• 4 cups water (or enough to cover everything)
• Splash of lime juice or apple cider vinegar at the end

Served with (on the side):

• Rotisserie chicken, shredded or in pieces
  • Seasoned with turmeric, paprika, and Himalayan salt

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Steps:

1. Simmer the Base
   In a medium pot, bring water to a boil. Add smoked turkey pieces and rinsed quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
2. Layer the Flavor
   Stir in minced onion, paprika, turmeric (if using), diced tomatoes, and bouillon. Simmer another 5 minutes.
3. Add Collards
   Stir in chopped collard greens and let everything simmer together for another 15–20 minutes, partially covered.
4. Brighten It
   Right before serving, stir in a splash of lime juice or apple cider vinegar to wake up the flavor.
5. Plate It with Intention
   Serve the soup with seasoned rotisserie chicken on the side. Spoon it in as you like — or enjoy the contrast between broth and bite.

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Notes from the Cook:
This wasn’t a feast. It was a decision to love myself with what I had. The smoked turkey gave depth. The quinoa caught it. The greens softened it. And the rotisserie chicken reminded me that even something on the side can carry weight.

A bowl from almost nothing.
And yet it fed everything.