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rice and bean soup in a vintage soup bowl with golden handles.
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4.67 from 6 votes

Rice and Beans Soup

Try this cozy rice and bean soup with brown rice, white beans, green beans, zucchini, and leeks. Perfect for chilly days!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: German
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 441kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Large soup pot

Ingredients

  • 9 oz leeks 250 g, Note 1
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves grated
  • ½ cup brown rice 3.5 oz/ 100 g, Note 2
  • 6 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable broth, 1 ½ liter, Note 3
  • 1 medium zucchini
  • 1 can white beans drained
  • 5.5 oz green beans frozen are okay, 150 g
  • 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice to taste
  • fine sea salt to taste
  • lots of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Leeks: Clean and chop them. Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté the leeks until softer and lightly colored, about 5 minutes.
    9 oz leeks / 250 g + 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Add the grated garlic cloves and the washed rice. Stir well and add the stock.
    2 large garlic cloves + ½ cup brown rice / 100 g + 6 ½ cups chicken stock / 1½liter
  • Simmer: Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and place the lid on the pot, leaving a crack open. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until the rice is almost cooked.
  • Zucchini and beans: In the meantime, halve the zucchini and slice the halves into half moons. Add them to the soup together with the drained white beans and green beans.
    1 medium zucchini + 1 can white beans + 5.5 oz green beans / 150 g
  • Continue simmering for 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked (Note 3).
  • Adjust the taste with salt and very generously with freshly ground pepper, more than you would usually need; the soup must be peppery. Add a little lemon juice to taste and stir.
    1-2 teaspoon lemon juice + fine sea salt + lots of freshly ground black pepper

Notes

  1. Leeks: About 1 medium leek, but leeks come in very different sizes, so it’s always a good idea to weigh them.
  2. Rice: If you use leftover cooked rice, you will need more or less 2 ½ cups/ 300 g/ 10.5 oz of cooked rice. Add it with the zucchini and beans during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
  3. Stock: Sub chicken stock with vegetable broth for a vegan soup. Bouillon cubes can be used as well.
  4. Cooking time: I like the rice to be just slightly overcooked, allowing it to lose some shape and thicken the soup, making it heartier. But that is just my taste; cook the rice according to your taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the soup | Calories: 441kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 590mg | Potassium: 1163mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1442IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 6mg