White Bean and Aborio Rice Soup: Simple Comfort for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Sometimes I just come across a soup that begs to made immediately. I was making a quick tour through Facebook and Vegetarian Times had posted this vegan White Bean and Aborio Rice Soup. Beans, cabbage, creamy rice, fresh rosemary and a delectable-sounding toasted bread and pine nut mixture stirred in at the end--the kind of simple, hearty comfort food perfect for the blustery weekend we are having.   

Vegetarian Times says, "Northern Italian soups are often filled out with rice rather than pasta. Toasted breadcrumbs and pine nuts add an almost cheese-like flavor—without the cheese."

White Bean and Aborio Rice Soup
Vegetarian Times, Jan/Feb 2012 or online here
(Serves 6)

3 Tbs. olive oil, divided

2/3 cup Arborio rice
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbsp) (I added another 2 cloves)
3 1/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (I used low-sodium "not-chicken" stock)
2 cups sliced cabbage
1 bay leaf
2 slices Italian bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (1 cup) (I used a ciabatta roll)

1/4 cup pine nuts
1 (15.5-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used 2 cans)

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in pot over medium heat. Add rice, and sauté 6 minutes, or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and rosemary, and cook 2 minutes more. Add broth, cabbage, and bay leaf; cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes.
 
Pulse bread and pine nuts in food processor until small crumbs form.

Heat remaining 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumb mixture, and sauté 5 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are crisp and toasted.
 
Add beans to soup, and cook 5 minutes more, or until rice is tender. Remove bay leaf, and stir in breadcrumbs. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Info: Per 1 1/4 Cup Serving: Calories: 268, Protein: 6g, Total Fat: 11g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 35g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium: 299 mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 3g

Notes/Results: Love this soup--so quick and easy and so very good. Beans and rosemary are one of my favorite combinations and this soup partners them beautifully. It's a thick, hearty and homey soup. The rice and bread absorb much of the liquid as it sits--so if you like a thinner soup, have more broth on hand to add to it. I did make a few small changes (noted in red above) mainly adding extra garlic and another can of beans. I loves me lots of beans. ;-) This is a great soup to warm you up--I would make it again.

We have some fabulous soups, salads and even cute little cucumber sandwiches waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen--let's take a look!

Janet of The Taste Space starts us off with a soup this week, as well as ending the roundup with a sandwich. She shares this hearty Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew and says, "Loads of black beans and sweet potato chunks are simmered with cumin, oregano and allspice with a broth that is flavoured with red pepper paste (Rob’s creative substitute since we were all out of red bell peppers) and sun-dried tomatoes. Although the balsamic vinegar and lime juice make this special with the tang and acidity."

Joyce of Kitchen Flavours shares creamy Roasted Pumpkin Soup and says, "This is a bowl of delicious Roasted Pumpkin Soup. The soup is so "pumpkin-ny-sweet and onion-ny-sweet". I have actually forgotten to add in the honey, but I think it does not really need it, as it is already veggie-sweet from both the pumpkin and the onions. My kids love this soup. The recipe makes quite a lot, it says serves 4, but this could easily feed 8! We have some leftovers, and they were asking for it the next day. Simply rewarm the soup, add a couple of tablespoons of hot water as it has thicken a little, and it is just as good!"

Also in the pumpkin patch this week is Judee from Gluten Free A-Z Blog, here with Paleo Pumpkin Pie Soup. Judee says, "The blog carnivals have been overflowing with pumpkin recipes, so I wanted to join in. However, aside from making a wonderful vegan traditional pumpkin pie, I've only used pumpkin for soup. So, I decided to make a pumpkin pie soup! The recipe is easy, the taste is sweet and delightful, and the ingredients are nutritious, vegan , paleo friendly, and of course gluten free. What a creation!" 

My pal Sue from Couscous & Consciousness is celebrating the bounty of spring "down under" with a colorful plate of Green Tea Soba Noodles with Soy-Roasted Salmon and Broad Bean & Radish Salad with Wasabi Ginger Dressing. She says, "This dish was the perfect combination of fresh spring ingredients, put together in a light and healthy way, and best of all ... preparation was quick and simple - whole thing on the table in less than 30 minutes.  I'll definitely be making this again a few times before spring passes into summer."

 
Graziana of Erbe in Cucina is back this week with a pretty homegrown-herb-flecked Potato Salad with Dill Vinaigrette and says, "With my first dill harvest of the season I seasoned a quick potato salad. You can use mayonnaise instead of yogurt for a stronger taste."

 
KIm of Stirring the Pot made Donna Hay's seasonally-perfect Brie and Crispy Bread Salad with Cranberry Dressing and says, "This recipe is for those of you, who like me, look for a way to make a sensible meal out of bread and cheese.  And by sensible I mean that I convinced myself this salad was healthy because it called for spinach and contained fruit.  Because really...all that brie cheese was just a little over a serving, right?  And that bread, well we have to have some carbs every once in awhile, right?  However you rationalize it, this salad was delicious."  

Janet of The Taste Space shares these adorable little Cucumber Avocado Sandwiches with Dill and Mint and says, "Enter the cucumber sandwich. Not a tea sandwich, this one replaces the bread for cucumber, creating a crunchy bite-sized nimbler. Easy to add to your plate and no fussy sauce that can leach and contaminate the next dish over. (I have adopted the 2 plate strategy for potlucks- 1 plate for savoury and 1 plate for desserts!) Perfect for those who want a gluten-free and nut-free snack… and raw, to boot. For me right now, raw has become more synonymous with easy food prep."

Thanks to everyone for joining in this week! If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details. 

Have a happy, healthy week!