Recipes

Autumn Rice Soup

This rustic soup tastes like fall in a bowl

By BC Living /

Packed with hearty vegetables and earthy herbs, this creamy vegan soup is filling enough to be called dinner. Serve with thick slices of bread or a batch of pull-apart biscuits for a match made in heaven.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, butter or vegan butter
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms (about 3 cups)
  • 1 butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into half-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 can (19 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried parsley)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 10 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup rice (we use jasmine)
  • 1 cup  Cashew Cream
  • 1 cup roughly chopped curly kale leaves (stems removed)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or vegan Parm
  • Salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the mushrooms have softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
  3. Add the squash, celery, bay leaves, beans, parsley, sage, thyme and vegetable stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the rice, cover, and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
  4. Add the Cashew Cream, kale and Parmesan and stir until combined. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

Serves 6 to 8; Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 45 minutes

NOTES

  • Vegan: Use vegan butter and vegan Parm.
  • Gluten-free: Use gluten-free vegetable stock.
  • Nut-free: Use table cream (18%) or unsweetened soy creamer instead of Cashew Cream. (If using table cream, the recipe will not be vegan.)

 

Excerpted from Fraiche Food Fuller Hearts by Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Copyright © 2023 Jillian Harris and Tori Wesszer. Photography by Rachelle Beatty. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.