Wholesome and satisfying rice and beans soup loaded with vegetables like leeks, zucchini, and green beans.
Soup is what I cook the most. I've cooked and eaten so many different soups, I cannot even keep count anymore. From the more usual ones like chicken or beef soup to red cabbage or rhubarb soup. Creamy soups, chunky soups, meaty ones, with fish, with noodles, and so on.
And now one with rice, a rice and beans soup more precisely.
Ingredients
Most of the ingredients for this soup are things one does normally have in the pantry or freezer, so despite the long list of ingredients, I found that I only had to buy the zucchini.
Rice:
- I use brown rice, I recommend using it, as it has a longer cooking time thus fitting the soup's cooking time. It is also heartier and fits this soup much better than plain white rice.
- This rice and beans soup recipe is a good one for using up the leftover cooked rice. I somehow always manage to cook too much of it and then I have it hanging around in the fridge for days.
- We do eat fried rice with veggies from time to time, but sometimes you just want to have something else to do with leftover rice, so this soup is great for the purpose. Just add the cooked rice towards the end of the cooking process and give it time to heat through properly.
Beans:
- You can use canned beans or some that you've cooked yourself.
- And it really doesn't matter which kind. I use white beans often (small or large), but kidney or pinto beans are great as well.
Vegetables:
- Leeks, zucchini, and green beans. But these are just suggestions, you could replace some of them or add bell peppers, peas, broccoli, cauliflower...
Stock:
- I use homemade chicken stock most of the time because I almost always have it in the fridge or freezer.
- However, vegetable stock for a vegan/vegetarian version is perfect.
- You can even use bouillon cubes if you like, chicken stock always adds more depth of flavor, but cubes will make a delicious soup as well.
Method
- Saute the chopped leeks for about 5 minutes, stirring often. (1)
- Add garlic, washed rice, and stock. (2)
- Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the chopped zucchini and drained beans. (3)
- Continue simmering for about 10 minutes or until the brown rice is properly cooked. (4)
- I prefer the rice to be very slightly overcooked, it loses its shape a little and makes the soup thicker and heartier. But that is just my own taste, cook the rice according to your taste.
- Adjust the taste with salt and lots of black pepper, be more generous with the pepper than you would actually be, there are no other spices in the soup.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice to taste.
Leftovers
- Refrigerate the leftover rice and beans soup once cool and reheat thoroughly before serving again.
Rice and Beans Soup
Wholesome and satisfying rice and beans soup loaded with vegetables like leeks, zucchini, and green beans.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 383kcal
Ingredients
- 250 g/ 8.8 oz leeks Note 1
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves grated
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ½ cup brown rice Note 2
- 1,5 liter/ 51 fl.oz/ 6 ½ cups stock Note 3
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 can white beans drained
- 150 g/ 5.3 oz green beans frozen are fine
- 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice to taste
- fine sea salt
- lots of freshly ground black pepper
- fresh herbs to sprinkle over the soup parsley, oregano, thyme, chives etc
- chili flakes to sprinkle over
Instructions
- Clean and chop the leeks. Heat the oil in a large pot. Saute the leeks until softer and lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
- Add the grated garlic cloves and the washed rice. Stir well and add the stock. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, place the lid on the pot but leave a crack open. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the rice is almost cooked.
- In the meantime, halve the zucchini and slice the halves into half-moons. Add to the soup together with the drained beans. Continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Adjust the taste with salt and very generously with freshly ground pepper, more than you would usually need, the soup needs to be peppery. Add a little lemon juice, to taste and stir. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and red chili flakes before serving.
Notes
- About 1 medium, but leeks come in very different sizes.
- If you use leftover cooked rice, you will need more or less 300 g/ 10.5 oz/ 2 ½ cups cooked rice. Add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking time together with the zucchini and beans.
- Chicken stock or vegetable broth for a vegan soup. Bouillon cubes can be used as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the soup | Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 1291mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g
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Christine | Vermilion Roots says
Looks like we both posted about Heidi's new book in the same week! 🙂 I can totally relate to the skepticism before starting on a new recipe, and that's why I started a Recipe Confidence challenge to motivate myself to trust recipes, and I've learned so much. But I'm all about making reasonable adaptions if some of the ingredients don't work for you. (I don't eat cow-dairy.) I'm glad it turned out well for you. Mine did too, and I can't wait to try her other recipes. Maybe I'll do a soup or salad seeing that you have had great success with those recipes by her. Let me know if you do another one of her recipes!
Adina says
I am quite bad at following recipes to the letter, I sometimes think to know better. Often, I obviously don't, and then I am really angry with myself for not following better.:) I have already made Heidi's red lentil hummus and it was perfect. I will let you know when I make more.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Heidi's blog is totally awesome, and I'm with you - can't wait to get her new cookbook! Glad you are sharing this, you sneaky-clever girl! LOVE how you got this off the teaser on Amazon! 😉 I can totally see your hesitation with this soup... beans, rice and pasta does sound like a LOT of carbs in one soup. But, if you say its delicious, I will have to give it a try too! I love the cauliflower in here, since I am a cauli-addict! Cheers, my dear! <3
Adina says
🙂 🙂
Lots of carbs but you won't need anything else for lunch or dinner if you have this soup, so I guess it is ok then. I love cauliflower as well, but it should either be crunchy or overcooked to puree. Anything in between is kind of bähhh for me.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
This is so comforting and satisfying...perfect for rainy days!
Adina says
Thank you, Angie. It is indeed very suitable for rainy days like today.
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Anything with rice and beans is so cozy and comfy. And addition of leek makes it super indulging, Adina. Absolutely delicious.
Adina says
Leeks are great, aren't they? They give such a nice sweetness to any dish.