Before you read this post, go over to the Empty Bobbin to see her newest quilt...it's absolutely stunning!
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This soup recipe is almost as delicious as that quilt, so prepare yourselves! :)
I got this recipe out of the book, Veganomicon, and made it for the first time a few weeks ago. This is seriously the best tomato soup I've ever had in my life (other people agree, too) and it will make your house smell so mouthwateringly delicious!
Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Beans
Makes about 8-12 servings
Ingredients:
2 bulbs garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion (diced very small)
1 cup long-grain brown rice (I used jasmine)
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 teaspoons salt
fresh ground pepper
2 (28 oz) cans crushed (or diced) tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can navy beans/cannelloni beans/pinto beans
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut the tops off both of the garlic heads. Place the garlic on two small sheets of tin foil and drizzle olive oil over the top of each bulb. Wrap the bulbs in the tin foil, place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 45 minutes.
Saute the oil and onions in a large soup pot over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until translucent.
Add the rice, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes. Fill each can up with water and pour into the soup mixture (56 oz of water total).
Bring to a boil and then lower heat to medium-low for about 45 minutes.
When the garlic from the oven and let cool until it is cool enough to handle. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skin and then mash up the roasted garlic with a fork. Add the garlic to the soup when the rice is nearly tender.
When the rice is finished cooking, add the beans to the soup and heat through. Before serving, remove the bay leaves.
Jon and I have been going back and forth about purchasing a breadbox (I know, the exciting things we discuss...). Shinji likes to jump up on top of the fridge and chew through our plastic bread bags, so we normally have to put our bread in the fridge (ew) or in the cupboard. When I saw this breadbox at Target last week I *almost* bought it, and once Jon and I went back to the store together, he totally wanted it, too, so we picked it up.
In honor of our new bread box and lack of bread in the house, Jon made these two really cute loaves of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day bread. It was such a nice treat to come home freshly baked bread after spending the day working at my internship.
In other carb-loaded news, we found a local pizzeria that makes three different types of vegan pizza. Since switching our diet, I've really been missing the ability to order a takeout pizza (not the actual pizza itself...cheese and I are not good friends), but just the idea of calling up a restaurant and ordering a takeout pizza. This pizza was so tasty. It was topped with pesto, walnuts, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli and red sauce and was absolutely delicious! We will definitely be ordering this again.
One other item that magically appeared in our Target cart on Friday was the Super Mario game for the Wii. While I was diligently working all weekend, my sister and Jon played Mario for hours on end. They made it to the halfway point of the game this weekend and now their seat outlines are permanently imprinted on the couch. :)
