Italian Vegetable Soup with Rice (NES)

By hmp13

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (28 ounces) ground or crushed tomatoes
• 12 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups tomato juice
• 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 2 medium summer squash, diced
• 1/3 cup uncooked white rice
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves, torn into smaller pieces
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the diced tomatoes, ground tomatoes, stock, tomato juice, chickpeas, kidney beans, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the zucchini, summer squash, and rice. Return to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add the peas, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and cook until thoroughly heated. Remove the bay leaves before serving.