Clear Pea And Vegetable Soup With Brown Rice

Ingredients

1tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 stick celery, cut into 1cm chunks
50g brown rice (dried weight)
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 small bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme, pulled from the stalk (1 tsp of dried)
1 sprig fresh oregano (½ tsp dried)
1 1/2 ltr good vegetable stock
Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1/2 leek, cut in half lengthways and chopped into 1cm chunks
100g savoy cabbage, cut into 2 cm squares
300g frozen peas
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Nutrition

PER SERVING (4) 105 kcalories, 6g protein, 18g carbohydrates, 2g fat, 0.3g saturated fat, 5g fibre, 4g sugar 0.26g sodium.

Nutrition - as well as the nutritional value of the Peas this recipe contains: vitamin A and beta carotene, B complex vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron, iodine, potassium, quercitin, allicin plus other antioxidants from the herbs.

Method

Fry the chopped onion, carrot, and celery with the rice over a medium heat for one minute. Add the garlic cook for a further one minute. Add the bay leaf, a sprig of fresh thyme pulled off the stalk, or half a teaspoon of dried, one sprig fresh oregano (half tsp dried) Add the stock. Season with the sea salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil and boil for 12 mins. Add the leek and cabbage and bring back to the boil for a further 4 mins until they are nearly tender. Add the parsley and the peas and bring back to the boil. Season to taste and garnish with fresh chives. Serve piping hot.

Serves 4.