Veggies And Carbs, All In One Pot

Are you guys paying attention out there? Because if you are, you should already be able to guess some of my favorite foods from the recipes I post. And those certainly including leeks, mushrooms and rice.

Add to the list: Soup. OK, so I post a lot of soup recipes, but on cold nights I can't stand the thought of a salad for dinner – I want hot food! And nothing warms you up from the inside out like soup. Especially this one, which packs tons of flavor from some just caramelized leeks and meaty mushrooms.

One thing about soups with rice is that the rice will continue to absorb water and expand if you leave it overnight in the fridge. So if you hate rice past al dente you'll want to finish this all up the first night, and if you don't, you should still probably add a little water when you heat it up the next day.

If you want to use different types of rice like brown, wild or anything else, simply adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Leek Mushroom and Rice Soup – Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium leek, sliced, rinsed and patted dry

8 ounces mushroom, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 tablespoon flour

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup white rice

salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the sliced leek and stir to coat.

Cook, stirring regularly, until they begin to brown, 10-15 minutes.

Add in the sliced mushroom and cook, another 15 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook, stirring, another two minutes.

Stir the flour into the vegetable mixture until evenly distributed, then add in the broth, stirring as you pour.

Add the rice in and stir just to mix. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

editor@jewishweek.org