This red soup with red rice is a recipe that my friend Lucia gave me a long time ago, and which I’ve finally decided to try after ages. Better late than never. 😀
The reason for this long wait is that the main ingredient of this soup is the red beet, unfortunately disliked by some family members here, making me hesitant when buying it (and it’s not just with beets, to be honest!).
But… lately, since I’m on a diet, I’ve decided to let them complain ( 😛 ) and eat this extraordinary vegetable full of properties more often. And it’s super filling (something not to be underestimated!).
If you like red beets as much as I do (even if you’re not on a diet!), this red soup is definitely worth a try, take my word for it.
🙂
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Other recipes with beets or red rice:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Soups, Broths, and Creams
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2 Red Beets (or one, if large)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (not too large, or half)
- 1 Red Onion
- 0.5 cup Whole Grain Red Rice
- 2 leaves Mint
- 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- to taste Pepper
- to taste Vegetable Broth (or water)
Tools
- Pot
- Immersion Blender
Preparation
First, cook the red rice.
I cooked it in water for 25 minutes, I recommend checking the cooking time on the package as it may vary by brand.
While the rice is cooking, prepare the beet and bell pepper puree as follows:
– slice the onion and cut the bell pepper into pieces
– wilt the onion in a non-stick pan with the oil, add the bell pepper, and cook for five minutes with the lid closed
– peel and cut the beet into pieces
I used pre-packaged vacuum-sealed beets.
– add the beet pieces to the pan and flavor them by stirring with a spoon.
When the bell pepper is cooked (if necessary, a few tablespoons of vegetable broth, or water, can be added during cooking), transfer the vegetables into the blender or food processor cup and blend everything.
The consistency of the puree can be determined on the spot, I preferred a thick soup, but by adding vegetable broth, you can opt for a more liquid consistency (in this case, using an immersion blender can be useful).
Once the desired consistency is reached, transfer to the plates.
Flavor with one or two chopped mint leaves, then add the boiled red rice to each plate.
Before serving, complete with a pinch of freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of raw oil.
As I mentioned in the introduction… I’m on a diet! 😀
One of the positive things about this new dietary course of mine – apart from the weight loss which greatly motivates me – is the rediscovery of foods that I had somewhat abandoned. The beet is one of these, a vegetable often considered second-rate but should be consumed more often by everyone due to its valuable beneficial properties.
Indeed, now that orange season is back, I must absolutely include the orange and beet salad in my weekly menu, do you remember it? It was a great success as a Christmas recipe!
The beet is very filling, and since for the diet it can be eaten to satiety (being a vegetable), this red beet and rice soup has turned out to be an unbeatable ‘diet’ first course. For me 🙂
And with the addition of cheese, ricotta, or yogurt, it can become a unique dish, ideal for a lunch break.WW Propoints Info: for those familiar with the diet I’m following (Eat without belly), the points I’ve calculated are: 6 p. for a nice big bowl of soup with 0.25 cups of whole grain rice (raw weight) and 1 teaspoon of oil (+ possibly 1 point for: 1 tablespoon of grated cheese, 1 oz ricotta, or 1.4 oz yogurt).
Enjoy!
Salt-Free Tips
This recipe is perfect without salt, the beet and bell pepper have well-defined flavors, so for this red soup only a couple of mint leaves (it’s really a great flavor to pair with beet, try it!) and a sprinkle of pepper are enough to obtain a tasty low-sodium dish. 😉
If you are interested in reducing or eliminating salt, always remember to:
▫ Decrease salt gradually, the palate must gradually get used to it and not notice the progressive reduction.
▫ Use spices. Chili, pepper, curry, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, cumin…
▫ Use aromatic herbs. Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, mint…
▫ Use seeds. Sesame, pine nuts, almonds, walnuts…
▫ Use spicy vegetables or fruit. Garlic, onion, lemon, orange…
▫ Use my salt-free vegetable granule and gomasio.
▫ Prefer fresh foods.
▫ Avoid cooking in water, prefer methods that don’t lose flavors (grill, foil, steam, microwave)
▫ Avoid bringing the salt shaker to the table!
▫ Occasionally allow yourself a break from the rule. It’s good for morale and helps you persevere.
If you can’t or don’t want to give up salt:
▫ You can still try my recipes, seasoning according to your habits.
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