Basil Rice Soup Minestra Di Riso E Basilico Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse the asparagus; snap off the tough bottom stubs.
• Slice the spears crosswise into 1/3 inch chunks, including the tips.
• Pour 1/3 cup olive oil into a large pot, drop in the crushed garlic, and set over med-high heat.
• Golden the garlic for a minute or two, just until fragrant and lightly colored, and stir the potato cubes into the hot oil.
• Cook/stir occasionally, until the potatoes are crusty and starting to stick to the bottom but not browned-lower the heat if necessary-4-5 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped leeks; cook until softened and sizzling, 3-4 minutes.
• Pour 5 quarts water into the pot; add in the bay leaves and tablespoon salt; stir well, scraping up any crusty potatoes on the bottom.
• Cover, and bring to a boil over high heat; stir in all the asparagus, return to a boil, and adjust heat to keep the broth bubbling steadily and slowly reducing.
• Cook uncovered about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the soup volume is reduced by almost a third and the broth is full of flavor-tasting is the way to test for doneness.
• Stir in the rice and return to a boil; cook for 10 minutes, until the grains are al dente, then turn the heat off.
• Season with freshly ground black pepper, and more salt to taste.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ cup grated cheese.
• Serve immediately in warm bowls, with more cheese and oil at the table.

Steps:

• In a soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
• Add in onion, celery, garlic, and basil; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened.
• In a food processor, puree tomatoes with juice; add to pot with stock and rice; season with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
• Bring to a boil; decrease heat, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until rice is tender.
• Stir in parsley.
• **To make a creamy soup, add 1/2 cup whipping cream along with the parsley.
• **If you have fresh basil, substitute 2 tablespoons of the chopped fresh basil for the dried basil and add along with the parsley.