Bean and Rice Veggie Soup

We have been having a lot of rain lately, and there is nothing I like more for dinner when it's rainy (even if it is 85 and muggy, LOL), than a bowl of soup with a hunk of homemade bread.

Here is yet another recipe I made up one night when I needed to use up some cooked rice. While there are quite a few ingredients, I think you will find you have most of them in the pantry already (if you don't, you should, lol).

For the sake of space I won't type it into every line, but I use organic when I can, especially if it grows underground (carrots, onions, potatos, etc..)

Kathy's Delectable Vegetable Rice Soup

2 cups cooked brown basmati rice (use whatever rice you have, of course)
1 small onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
Just the stems from one head of broccoli, peeled and chopped
2 cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
32 oz organic vegetable broth (or 4 cups homemade, dilute 1/2 with water if yours is strong)
Bottled roasted red bell pepper (enough to equal roughly one pepper)
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Herbs de province
1 can organic diced tomatos, drained
1 bay leaf
2-4 minced (or pressed) garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground Pepper

In a food processor or blender, puree the beans, roasted bell pepper and enough veg broth to make it smooth, set aside.
In a soup pot, heat about 2 tsp. olive oil over med-high heat. Saute onion until soft. Add carrots and broccoli stems, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Saute 3 minutes. Ad remaining veg broth, bean puree, wine, vinegar, tomatoes, herbs de province and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer 15 minutes. Add rice and garlic. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes. Remove Bay Leaf before serving. Serve with fresh bread. Yum!