Cozy Lemon Rice Soup

Cozy Lemon Rice Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup small yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup celery, diced ( about 2-3 stalks)
1 1/2 cup carrots, sliced into rounds (about 2–3 large carrots)
1 15oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth, divided
1/2 cup *dry arborio rice
¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
¾ tsp black pepper
2 cups baby spinach, packed
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)

Heat a large soup pot over medium. Add butter and onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until translucent.  Add garlic, celery and carrots and continue cooking for 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, add cannellini beans and one cup of vegetable broth to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add remaining 5 cups of broth, 2 tbsp lemon juice, puréed beans, rice, salt, and pepper to pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20-25 minutes until rice is almost tender.  Stir in herbs, spinach and remaining lemon juice. Let cook for additional 5 minutes.

*In my opinion, arborio is the best rice option for this soup. It’s a short-grain Italian rice often used in risotto and it soaks up a ton of flavor. Just be warned, don’t add more than 1/2 cup of dry arborio rice. If you do, you’ll end up with risotto. It may not look like it at first, but after sitting for about an hour, it will soak up a ton of liquid. You can also use jasmine or basmati in place of the arborio.