Spring Minestrone
Serves 4
Time 50 min
This recipe comes to us courtesy of Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks, a recipe journal. Here's what Heidi says about this recipe, featured on the cover of her book: "I like to serve it over brown rice. It's a great lunch recipe, and you can tweak it in many different ways depending on what you have on hand. Some days I enjoy it with poached eggs on top, other days I’ll add a couple handfuls of edamame and a drizzle of sesame oil. I mention in the book that you might try swapping out the peas for shelled fava beans, and tossing a bit of freshly grated Parmesan lemon zest, and shredded basil on top. It’s an endlessly adaptable, simple soup that is hard to screw up."
Special Diets:
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup medium-grain brown basmati rice, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup sugar snap or snow peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
- 8 spears asparagus, trimmed and diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (not canned)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add shallots and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add rice and cook, stirring for 1 minute, then add stock and bring to a boil.
Cover, lower the heat, and simmer until rice is just tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
Add sugar snap peas, asparagus, and green peas, and season with salt and pepper.
The key to making this soup truly delicious is getting the seasoning right, so if you need more salt, add some and taste again.
Taste and adjust.
Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes and serve immediately; this way the vegetables stay crisp and bright.
Nutritional Info:
Per serving: 230 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 480mg sodium, 29g carbohydrates (9g dietary fiber, 3g sugar), 10g protein.
Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember - we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information.
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup medium-grain brown basmati rice, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup sugar snap or snow peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
- 8 spears asparagus, trimmed and diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (not canned)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper