Comforting soup packed with vegetables, rice, and (optional) chicken for the meat eaters at the table.
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When I get knocked around a little by life, I head to the kitchen to make soup or to bake. I'm convinced that soup, cookies, and cake are the original comfort foods, not just as hugs from my own childhood, but from all the generations of women in my family that cooked in kitchens before me.
I made this soup last week for a friend who was ill, and made it as a chicken soup for her (as reflected in the photo). But I've made it as a vegetarian soup for years.
Soup is truly food for the soul, IMO. For generations, soup has been a way to cook up scraps of vegetables, meat or fish in a broth, and frequently stretched with legumes, pasta, bread, rice or whole grains. Every culture around the world has a soup that's part of their food identity. Ribollita from Italy comes to mind, as does a Hungarian goulash made with meat, potatoes and noodles.
Cooking Notes
- There’s a bit of prepping to do for this soup, but it comes together quickly, and some prepping can be done ahead, or while the soup simmers on the stove.
- Add 1 ½ cups of cooked chicken for the meat eaters at the table. To save time, I buy a whole roasted chicken at my local market for this soup.
- Other grains can be substituted for the rice. I’ve also made this soup using quinoa with great success.
More Hearty Soups to Love
Another soup with grains is barley soup. My vegetarian barley soup includes some celery, onion and potato, and is brightened with a squeeze of lime and a little fresh mint.
Vegetable Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onions diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 large leek white and light green parts
- 2 large shallots minced
- 1 Serrano chili seeded, minced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 1 small carrot
- 12 cups vegetable broth
- 2 russet potatoes peeled, diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅔ cup uncooked rice
- 1 avocado mashed
- 2 limes juiced
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dry sherry optional
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy, large pot suitable for making soup over medium-high heat. Add the onions, leek, shallots, chili, celery and carrot. Sauté until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Add the potatoes, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, and rice. Simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Stir in the mashed avocado, lime juice, Parmesan and sherry (optional). Simmer another 5 minutes.
- Serve piping hot in soup bowls with a salad and hunk of crusty bread on the side.
Choc Chip Uru
This soup looks so warming 🙂
Yum!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh it is CCU. Next snowy day you have, you should totally make it. I think you'd really like it!
Rosemary
Gorgeous photo, Susan! Love the blend of background textures and I can almost put my spoon into the soup!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Rosemary!! Soups aren't always easy for me to photograph; something I'm really working on right now.
Rebecca
Heading out to get the rest of the ingredients now. *I* am in the mood for a little comfort food myself!
Rebecca
Wow -- this is ridiculously good! I used (homemade) chicken broth, omitted the step with the bones, and used whole-wheat orzo because I had it on hand. Amazing! I was a tad concerned about the avocado and lime, but they add a light "zing." This is going on my soup rotation. Thanks. 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm sooooo excited that you made this soup so quickly, Rebecca!!! You really made my day. And I'm so glad you liked it. Yay!!! Yeah, the avocado adds a little *creaminess* without the cream, and the lime just sharpens those flavors. Best of all, it's a forgiving soup, and welcomes little twists and shortcuts, as you found out. This was actually a riff on a quinoa soup I made a couple of years ago - which I still haven't gotten around to adding to my blog 🙂 Someday I need to do that 🙂 Thanks again!!
Julia
This soup looks so yummy and since spring still hasn't arrive (and may never) I have time to make this!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Julia! It's such a wild winter. Some areas of the country getting slammed, and we barely had any winter at all here in the Sierras. Crazy!
apuginthekitchen
I could use a bowl of this soup right now, looks delicious Susan, You are so right, soup, cookies and cake are the ultimate comfort foods!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Suzanne! I was just over at your blog - I had no idea how poorly you've been feeling. And I'm so glad Nando is doing better. Hope you both are feeling back to normal soon. If we were neighbors, I would have brought some of this soup over to with your friend's stuffed apple 🙂
TasteFood
I could do with a bowl of this right now - so warm and comforting.
Cass @foodmyfriend
Tyler always requests this in Winter. i guess it is nearly that time again!
http://www.theimnetwork.com
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Spoonful of Comfort
Preparing my ingredients for this soup now. I am sure my hubby will love it. He loves soups and is always excited to try something new.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh I hope you liked it!! We love soups too, and this is one we've really enjoyed!!