Spring Vegetable Rice Soup

After a long winter, this especially fresh-tasting vegetable rice soup puts you in the mood for spring. In this recipe for spring vegetable rice soup, you don’t have to use all the vegetables listed in the ingredients, and you can add in any that you want. Be creative!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 35 to 40 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

6 scallions

3 to 4 mushrooms

1 small carrot

1 small celery stalk

1 plump clove garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/3 cup white rice

1 medium tomato

1 small yellow squash

1 small zucchini

1/2 medium red or yellow bell pepper

1/4 pound asparagus, or 1/2 cup fresh green beans

Fresh parsley

Fresh basil, dill, or chives

Salt to taste, about 1/2 teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cut off the green portions of the scallions and retain only the white parts.

2. Slice the scallion parts and mushrooms.

3. Shred the carrot.

4. Thinly slice the celery.

5. Mince the garlic.

6. In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil.

7. Add the scallions, carrot, and celery and sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

8. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

9. Peel, seed, and dice the tomato.

10. Add the broth, rice, and tomato to the pot.

11. Bring to a boil.

12. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

13. Slice the squash and zucchini.

14. Cut the bell pepper half into thin 1-inch strips.

15. Trim and slice the asparagus.

16. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, bell pepper, and asparagus to the pot.

17. Cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.

18. Chop the parsley.

19. Mince the basil.

20. Stir 3 tablespoons parsley and 1 tablespoon basil into the pot.

21. Season with salt and pepper.