Feature Recipe | Roasted Tomato, Rice & Bean Soup with Salted Bread Bites

With temperatures just starting to dip below zero degrees this week (here in British Columbia) there’s no doubt that the season of soul-warming soup is upon us. This Roasted Tomato, Rice & Bean soup features fire-roasted tomatoes, a wild rice blend and black beans — all topped with creamy cashew-based parmesan cheese. It’s worth your while to use the fire-roasted variety of diced tomatoes (if you can find them) — they lend a sweet, slightly caramelized depth to the soup you just can’t get with plain diced tomatoes.

What I love about this soup is its versatility. Switch up the variety of bean used, add some roasted kale or corn or toss in some chili flakes to add an extra kick of flavour. However you make it be sure to pair this soap with crusty bread or my personalfavourite: Salted Bread Bites (pictured). If you make a double batch of soup or have leftovers this recipe can be repurposed into burrito filling….simply simmer the soup down and whip up a batch of flour tortillas and you have yourself a platter of hearty burritos.

Looking to add some tomato bliss to your dinner plans this week? Why not try these Vegan Rhapsody favourites:

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Sensation
Mediterranean-style Roasted Vegetables [Briam]

Enjoy~

Roasted Tomato, Rice & Bean Soup Ingredients

This & That (see Recipe Notes)

• 1 cup dry black beans
• 2 cups dry wild rice/wild rice blend
• One batch Savoury Parmesan Cheese (approx. 1 cup)

Soup

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• Himalayan pink salt or smoked salt
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes (28oz)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp celery seed

Method

Prep It (see Recipe Notes)

• 1/Cook 1 cup dry black beans as directed
• 2/Cook 1 cup wild rice/wild rice blend as directed
• 3/Prepare one batch of Savoury Parmesan Cheese

Make It

• 1/Add a glug of olive oil to a pot on medium-low heat. Toss the chopped onion and minced garlic into the pot along with a few pinches of salt. Sauté until fragrant.
• 2/Add fire-roasted tomatoes, vegetable broth, cumin powder, chili powder, celery seed, salt and 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese to the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• 3/Add cooked black beans and wild rice to the pot. Fold in reserved parmesan cheese. Cook (lid covered) on medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Serve It

Serve with a toasted, buttered baguette for the perfect soup combo! Garnish with sea salt flakes or smoked salt for added depth of flavour.

Salted Bread Bites Ingredients (makes 16-20 1-inch bites)
Prep Tip: Freeze dough for 30 minutes before baking.

Dough:

• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour + 1 Tbsp
• 1/2 cup quinoa flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Olive oil

Coating (customize amounts to your liking):

• Olive oil
• Garlic powder
• Dried rosemary
• Himalayan pink salt

Method

Prep It

1/In a small prep bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, salt and rosemary; set aside.
2/In a large mixing bowl whisk together yeast and water. Let stand for 10 minutes (should look slightly foamy).
3/Add all-purpose flour (and quinoa flour if using) and sea salt to the mixing bowl with yeast-water mixture.  Knead for 2 minutes.
4/Transfer dough to lightly floured surface (about 1 Tbsp). Gently work in flour.

Chill It

1/Transfer prepared dough to a well-greased bowl. Coat dough in oil as you form into a large ball. Cover the mound of dough in plastic wrap (tightly as possible). Wrap in a ball and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
2/Divide the chilled dough into 1-inch balls. Place each ball on a parchment paper-lined baking tray. Gently press each mound of dough with the bottom of a glass.
3/Using a basting brush, coat each mound of dough generously with the reserved olive oil-herb mixture.

Bake It

Bake at 450F for 15 minutes or until the tops begin to turn golden brown. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes

(1)How to make Savoury Parmesan Cheese:
Ingredients

• 3/4 cup raw cashews
• 2 tsp hemp seeds (shelled)
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice

Method
Add dry ingredients to a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse until well combined.  Add lemon juice. Pulse until the mixture just starts to combine.
Important! Don’t pulse too much– the cheese should be granular and not a paste!

(2)Guidelines for cooking beans and rice:
1 cup dry beans (most varieties) = 3 cups cooked beans
This handy link gives an overview of bean and lentil conversions

(3)As a general guideline: 1 cup uncooked wild rice = 3 cups cooked wild rice. To cook wild rice, use three parts water to one part rice. This handy link gives an overview of pasta and rice conversions.

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