Vegetable Soup with Rice Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 oz haricot beans
• 1 large onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz potatoes
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 small courgettes
• 6 oz firm white cabbage
• 2 oz peas (shelled weight)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 3 pints water or vegetable stock
• 4 oz short grain rice (arborio or similar)
• 1 or 2 leaves of basil (chopped)
• Sprig of parsley (taken from the stem and chopped)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Soak the beans in water overnight.
2. Next day drain and and cook them in unsalted water until almost tender. Drain.
3. Heat a oil in a deep pan. Peel and chop the onion finely and lightly fry.
4. Peel and cube the potatoes, peel and chop the tomatoes, wash and slice the carrot into small rounds, peel (if necessary) the courgettes and slice into rounds. Wash and shred the cabbage and drain. Pod (if necessary) the peas.
5. Add all the vegetables and crushed garlic to the pan with the onions, stir gently and lightly fry for about 5 minutes.
6. Add the water or vegetable stock and bring slowly to the boil. Add the beans and continue cooking until they are quiet tender. Add the rice, basil, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cook for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender but still has a bite.
8. Serve hot.

Serves 4 and very filling. If you want you can add some diced bacon when you're frying the onions. Also, if you prefer a more tomatoee taste, squirt in some tomato puree and stir in towards the end.