Caribbean Bean and Rice Soup

This post is also available in: Japanese

From the excellent 500 Vegan Dishes by Deborah Gray. There are a lot of ingredients here but this came together in less than two hours and made enough food for 6 people. Awesome warming soup as the fall sets in, but good any time of year, either as a side or on its own over a bowl of Aki-san’s organic brown rice.

Soup:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3 cups (700 ml) tomato juice
1/2 cup (130g) tomato paste
2 tsp dried thyme or oregano
3 cups vegetable bouillon
1 15-oz (400 ml) can coconut milk
1/2 cup long-grain rice (I used basmati)
1 15-oz can or 2 cups cooked red kidney or black beans

Croutons:
3-5 cups day-old bread cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano

Make the soup: wash and soak the rice for at least an hour before starting. Prep all the vegetables, chopping the carrots, celery and peppers to the size of the beans you are using. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan and cook the onion until soft (5-7 minutes). Add the garlic, celery, carrots, peppers, bay leaves, paprika and pepper, and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato juice, tomato paste and thyme leaves, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the bouillon, coconut milk, and drained rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the beans and cook another 15 minutes.

Make the croutons: toss the stale bread cubes with the other ingredients in a bowl. Bake at 180°C (375°F) for 4-5 minutes until golden brown.

Serve the soup garnished with the croutons – lovely.

Nutrition info: makes 6 400g servings. Per serving, 520 calories, 27g fat (15g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 48g carbs (11g fiber), 14g protein, 860mg sodium. Vitamins and minerals: Vitamin A 160%, Vitamin C 90%, Vitamin E 30%, Vitamin K 40%, Vitamin B6 30%, Folate 50%, Iron 40%, Magnesium 30%, Phosphorus 30%, Potassium 30%, Copper 30%, Manganese 60%

Cost info: 2650 yen, of which sunflower oil 60, onion 80, garlic 50, celery 200, carrot 160, bell peppers 400, paprika 60, tomato juice 500, tomato paste 270, thyme 30, veg broth 40, coconut milk 320, kidney beans 250, bread 150, olive oil 80

Filed under: Fall, Winter, soup, appetizer, side, main, lunch, dinner, beans, rice