There is no doubt about it........fall has arrived in the midwest. The leaves have changed colors and coats are definitely a must for outdoor play. For lunch the other day, the girls and I wanted something nice and warm and decided to whip up a quick and easy soup with some leftover rice.
Don't you just love soup? We sure do. You can add just about any vegetables you would like to this soup and if you are vegetarian, try making it with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. Also, if you have any vegetables that are on their last leg, chop them up and throw them in.
Vegetable Rice Soup
by Lindsay Wilkes from The Cottage Mama
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
3 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2 - 2.5 cups cooked rice
1 box (3 - 5 cups) good chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
Saltine crackers (optional)
Directions:
Heat olive oil in heavy bottom soup pot. Saute carrots, celery and onion on medium-low heat until they are cooked through, season lightly with salt and pepper. Onions should be translucent and carrots and celery fork tender. Add in thyme and cook for an additional minute. Add season salt.
Pour in stock. You can add in 1 cup of water as well if you don't have quite enough stock. Turn heat up to medium. Place lid on pot and cook for another 10-15 minutes. Take lid off pot and add cooked rice and frozen peas. Taste soup and add salt and pepper, as needed. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and crushed saltine crackers.
I served our soup with a grilled cheese made with munster cheese and apricot preserves. I cut the sandwiches in strips. For some reason my girls will eat the crust if the sandwiches are cut like this.......not sure why, but it works for us!
Also, if you don't have already cooked rice, you could cook a bag of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice in the microwave for 90 seconds and add that to your soup. That would add some nice seasoning as well.
If you would prefer to make this a more Asian flavored soup, you could omit the thyme, add Jasmine rice and a drizzle of sesame oil to finish. So many options. I think that's why I love soup so much, it's so warm and cozy, it's taste even better the next day and there are a ton of ways to get creative!
