Rice and Bean Soup
Rice and Bean Soup is a delicious winter minestre that combines a vegetable and its broth with rice.
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove (optional)
1 onion
1 celery stalk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 peeled plum tomatoes, or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 24-ounce jar Randall Great Northern Beans
2 1/2 quarts hot water
1 cup cooked rice
3 to 4 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese
Put the oil in a generous soup pot and sauté the garlic (if used) until golden and oil is flavored. Discard the clove of garlic.
Mince the onion, celery, and parsley together, and cook them in the olive oil until the onion is translucent.
Add the tomatoes (or tomato paste), and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the beans and some of their liquid, not much more than 1/4 cup, together with the hot water. Raise the heat, and cook 2 or 3 minutes to flavor the beans.
Crush a few beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon to make the soup thicker. Add the rice, stir, and boil gently for approximately 15 minutes, or until the rice is plump and cooked.
Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.