Vegetable-Rice Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes that I cook for my family during Lent.

Ingredients:

1 tomato (seeded, diced)
2 scallions or green onions
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled, chopped)
1 cup cauliflower (cut into small florets)
1 sweet pepper (seeded and diced)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
3 tablespoons white rice
1 teaspoon fresh basil (diced)
1 zucchini (chopped)
½ teaspoon fresh parsley (diced)
½ teaspoon fresh garlic (minced)
6 cups water or 6 cups vegetable stock
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1st Step: In cooking pot, sauté carrots, celery, scallion, cauliflower with 2 tablespoon of oil and garlic till tender;

2nd Step: Add the vegetable stock or water; 2 tablespoons of oil and boil it for 5 minutes;

3rd Step: To the boiling vegetables, add rice, zucchini, sweet pepper, basil and parsley;

4th Step: In a medium heat, cook the soup for 45 minutes; add black pepper and salt.

Serve it hot.

P.S. if you are not a vegan, you may add cream or plain yogurt. If you wish spicy soup, you may add chili powder (berbere) or Tabasco sauce.

4 servings

For nutritional facts of this recipe please visit http://www.recipezaar.com/356950. For vitamin content please click on "Print Recipe" on aforementioned site.