Hearty Italian White Bean & Basil Soup

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• Rice:
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry long grain brown rice
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Soup:
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced (1 heaping tablespoon)
• 2 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning*
• salt (1-1/2 teaspoons)
• freshly ground black pepper (1/4 teaspoon)
• 2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• Note:
• Italian spice blend can be found in any grocery store — a combo of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, savory, fennel, sage and marjoram. Some versions have red pepper, so avoid those if you do not want to make the soup really spicy.

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from blog.potterybarn.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium pot, prepare the rice first by bringing 1 cup broth to a boil and then add the rice, salt and stir and immediately turn to the lowest heat setting and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes or until all the broth is evaporated. Return the lid and let it sit covered 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, chop your vegetables. Add the 6 cups broth to a large pot with only the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and chili powder. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to medium-high and cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Now add the tomatoes, cover and cook on medium-low for another 10 minutes.

Lastly, add the drained beans, fresh basil and cooked rice. Stir well and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, let it cook on high for 5-10 more mins until heated through. Taste and add any additional spices if necessary, I didn’t add anymore. Serve immediately and garnish with more fresh basil, if desired.