Lemon rice soup, vegan

One of the first recipes I converted was lemon rice soup— traditionally made with chicken stock and shredded chicken, and a staple at Greek coney islands. But my first version was vegetarian, and I wanted to try making it vegan. I looked to food blogs Kahakai Kitchen and Choosing Raw for inspiration.

This time, left out the eggs, but kept the chickpeas and added some miso. And instead of just rice, I also added orzo (gluten-free, of course) to the soup. I’ve been feeling under the weather recently, and I thought the burst of Vitamin c from both lemons and carrots would help.

The result? Tangy, rice and filling— this thick soup is a great version of the soup I’ve missed from Kerby’s. As always, it’s easiest to zest the lemon before you juice it— not after!

Ingredients

2 shallots

2 medium carrots

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp miso (white or yellow)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

6 cups vegetable broth or stock

2 cups cooked chickpeas (or other white bean)

1/4 cup white wine

2 bay leaves

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about two lemons)

1 cup rice (I used jasmine)

1/3 cup orzo

zest from two lemons

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Dice the carrots into small pieces and saute in olive oil over medium heat. After five minutes, dice the shallots and add them to the pot.
2. When the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic and white wine. Saute for 30 seconds more.
3. Add the veggie stock and bring to a boil. Add the orzo, rice and bay leaves, and reduce to a simmer.
4. In the meantime, blend the chickpeas in a blender with a few tablespoons of vegetable broth. Add the blended chickpeas to the soup.
5. Stir frequently— orzo likes to clump together.
6. Simmer the soup for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until both the rice and orzo are tender.
7. In a bowl, whisk the lemon juice and miso paste together.
8. Whisk into the rest of the soup, and don’t forget to remove the bay leaves.
9. Garnish with lemon zest, and serve hot.