Tuesday, December 18, 2012

December 17, 2012: Green Soup

I read an article about Green Soup in this month's Reader's Digest.  It got my attention because I am trying to eat better and I like soup.

Also, the recipe calls for the soup to be pureed.  I like plain soup - no floaters.  Usually that means high fat chowders or bisques. So, I decided to try it.

Here is the recipe that I used.  It was inspired by the Reader's Digest article which called for chard and just vegetable broth.  I used what I could find at the grocery store today.  Luckily the store had arborio rice.  That's an important ingredient that gives the soup body and some creaminess.



Joanne’s Green Soup


inspired by a recipe by Anna Thomas (“Eating Well”)
This is how made my first batch on 12-17-2012.

To make ahead: Prepare through Step 4 (omitting the lemon), cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Season with lemon just before serving.

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 32 oz can of vegetable broth
  • 1 32 oz can of chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup arborio rice
  • 2 large handfuls of other greens - I used mustard greens. But you could use kale, chard or other greens.
  • 1 lb bag of gently packed spinach any tough stems trimmed
  • Big pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Instructions
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are mushy and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine the vegetable broth and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven; add rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Coarsely chop the greens and spinach.
3. When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them; add them to the rice along with the spinach, chicken broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 15 minutes more.
4. Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if desired.



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