Well, Holy Saturday is upon us. Even though I’ve had to do quite a bit of running around this morning, the afternoon has been quiet and peaceful.
I’m putting this soup together today, so that some friends and I can have it as a first course tomorrow. It might not fit into your plans for this weekend, but give it a try sometime soon. It’s a nice spring soup, and I hope you enjoy it.
Olive and Rice Soup
1/2 cup olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 cups dry white wine
1 lemon rind, grated
3 tsp dry sage
2 tsp fresh rosemary leaves
2 tsp thyme
3 garlic cloves
10 pitted green olives
8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup brown rice
6 tsp capers
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in soup pot, and gently saute onions, carrots, and celery for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add wine, cover pot, and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Put lemon rind, sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and olives through a food processor. Add the mixture to the soup pot. Blend and stir.
Add the stock, rice, and capers. Stir and cover pot. Cook the soup over low-medium for about 45 minutes. Remove soup from heat, and let rest, covered, for about ten minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
For garnish, use chopped parsley and/or grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
