White Bean and Rice Soup

White Bean and Rice Soup – A cozy and light soup of vegetables, beans and rice. A perfect one pot wonder for all, made with accessible ingredients! Naturally gluten-free and soy-free, with oil-free option.

This white bean and rice soup recipe is super easy to make, with simple ingredients and no complicated steps. It is a light, well-balanced meal that is sure to fill you up and keep you warm during the winter season!

What do you need to make white bean and rice soup?

• White beans: This recipe calls for a can of cannellini beans, but you can always substitute it for other white beans. You can use navy beans, Great Northern beans, or even Garbanzo beans if you do not have cannellini beans on hand. If you are using dry beans, make sure to cook them beforehand.
• Brown rice: The rice makes this soup hearty and filling. Make sure to wash and rinse the rice to remove any debris.
• Onions, carrots and celery: Although humble, these vegetables are great flavor infusers for the soup. Plus, they add more volume to the soup while still keeping it light. I recently learned that there is a name for this trinity: mirepoix!
• Garlic: I like to use fresh minced garlic for soups, but you can use either frozen or bottled minced garlic if you want to save time.
• Vegetable broth: You can use either regular or low-sodium. There is also an option to cheat this step if you don't have vegetable broth on hand (see below ?).
• Bay leaves: Dried or fresh, bay leaves help to add a subtle flavoring. You can omit it if you don't have any on hand– it won't be the end of the world.
• Spinach: I always seem to have spinach in my fridge, so it's an ingredient that gets tossed into soup often for me. But feel free to skip this, or use other greens instead (such as kale or collard greens).
• Extra virgin olive oil: I used EVOO to sauté the vegetables, but you can totally use a little bit of water or vegetable broth instead to make this recipe oil-free!

How to make this white bean and rice soup

This recipe can be broken down into four easy steps:

1. Sauté the garlic, onions, carrot and celery
2. Add the vegetable stock, water and bay leaves and bring to a boil
3. Add the spinach, rice and white beans and cook for 25 mins
4. Season with salt, pepper and red chili flakes to taste

Tips and tricks for the best results

• Simmer for longer: As with all soups, time is really the best ingredient when it comes to flavor. If you aren't pressed for time, consider simmering the mixture for additional 5-10 minutes. This will make the rice extra tender.
• Cook the beans in the broth: Since the beans are already cooked, it might seem unnecessary to put them into the pot halfway through. But the cooked beans will still absorb the flavors, and also break down a little to make the soup thicker.

Frequently asked questions

• Can I freeze this soup? Yes, you can freeze this soup, and it will keep for 3 months. I would freeze them in individual servings to make thawing easier. Also, this soup keeps in the fridge for 3 days. 
• Can I use dry beans? Yup, you can use dry beans. But you should cook them beforehand for faster cooking and also to save on fluids!
• What if I don't have vegetable broth on hand? I've run into this problem before, and I winged it by using water and 1 tbsp of tamari (gluten-free soy sauce). It definitely didn't give me that rich vegetable flavor, but when I had the soup for leftovers the day after, I couldn't really tell the difference ?. So you can do this if you want to, just be aware that it may not taste the same. You may also need to adjust the salt later!

White Bean and Rice Soup

• Author: Tofuify
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dishes, Soups
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

White Bean and Rice Soup – A cozy and light soup of vegetables, beans and rice. A perfect one pot wonder made with accessible ingredients. Naturally gluten-free and soy-free, with oil-free option.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 3 cups water
• ½ cup brown rice, rinsed
• 1 can (1 ½ cups) cooked cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp red chili flakes

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Instructions

1. Warm the olive oil in a large pot with lid over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic to the pot and sauté the mixture for 3-4 mins until the onions start to soften, stirring often.
2. Add the vegetable stock, water and bay leaves to the pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the rice, beans and spinach to the pot, and wait for the soup to simmer. Bring down the heat to medium, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 25 minutes.
4. Add in salt, pepper and red chili flakes (either recommended amount, or to taste). Stir the mixture and remove the pot from heat.
5. Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

• You can also use dry cannellini beans (if you don't want to use canned beans), but I recommend that you cook them in advance of cooking the soup, as otherwise you will have to cook the soup for longer, and use more liquid.
• If you don't have vegetable stock on hand (it happens to the best of us), feel free to substitute it with water, and add 1 tbsp of soy sauce or tamari for a boost of umami flavor.

Keywords: soup, vegan, wfpb, carrot, celery, onion, rice, white beans