Vegetable-Rice Soup

This is one of my favorite soup recipes that I cook for my family during Lent.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1  tomatoes (seeded, diced)
• 2  scallions (chopped) or 2  green onions (chopped)
• 2  stalks celery (chopped)
• 2  carrots (peeled, chopped)
• 1  cup cauliflower (cut into small florets)
• 1  sweet pepper (seeded and diced)
• 4  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3  tablespoons white rice
• 1  teaspoon fresh basil (diced)
• 1  zucchini (chopped)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh parsley (diced)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh garlic (minced)
• 6  cups water or 6  cups  vegetable stock
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
•  salt

Directions

1. In cooking pot, sauté carrots, celery, scallion, cauliflower with 2 tablespoon of oil and garlic till tender.
2. Add the vegetable stock or water; 2 tablespoons of oil and boil it for 5 minutes.
3. To the boiling vegetables, add rice, zucchini, sweet pepper, basil and parsley.
4. In a medium heat, cook the soup for 45 minutes; add black pepper and salt.
5. Serve it hot.
6. P.S. if you are not on Lent or a vegan, you may add cream or plain yogurt. If you prefer spicy soup, you may add chili powder (berbere) or tabasco.