Spinach, mushroom, and brown rice soup is super-easy to make – in addition, it’s healthy, filling, and is suitable for Lent.
Based on the ingredients I had on-hand, I’ve adapted this recipe from Lena Tashjian’s ‘Stinging Nettle and Potato Soup’ recipe found in her cookbook, ‘The Vegan Armenian Kitchen Cookbook’.
By the way, if you’re not a fan of brown rice, (1/2 cup) brown or green lentils, or (1/3 cup) short-grain white rice may be used in its place.
A super-easy to make soup – in addition, it’s healthy, filling, and is suitable for Lent. This recipe is an adaptation of Lena Tashjian’s ‘Stinging Nettle and Potato Soup’ which is in her cookbook, ‘The Vegan Armenian Kitchen Cookbook’.
Course Soup
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Ingredients
3Tbsp.oil
18 oz. pkg.Baby Bella or white button mushrooms wiped clean and sliced
3cupsfresh spinach leaves rinsed well, and coarsely chopped Note: 3 cups of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed, may be substituted.
2Tbsp.lemon juice
salt, black pepper, Aleppo red pepper, or a dash of cayenne, and dried oregano to taste
lemon wedgesfor serving, optional
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Saute`mushrooms and onions until mushrooms soften and onions are translucent. Add garlic and seasonings to taste; stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn off heat and set vegetable mixture aside.
In a large pot, bring the water (or vegetable broth) to a boil. Stir in the rice and stir. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring from time-to-time, for 30 minutes. (FYI: Brown rice generally takes about 45 minutes to cook.) As liquid begins to evaporate, add a little more water or vegetable broth.
Stir in the vegetable mixture, lemon juice and spinach. Cook, covered, another 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.