Souper Lunch with Rice and Beans

soup, lunch, recipe, souper lunch, rice and beans

2015 Kids Recipe Challenge Winning Recipe: 1st Place! [Lunch]

Logan, from Dundas, likes to take this soup for lunch, “because it tastes good and it’s healthy”.

Full of vegetables and flavour, this soup will keep warm tucked in a thermos for lunch on a cold winter day. Serve it with low-fat milk.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Makes: 2 L (8 cups)

Serving Size: 250 mL (1 cup)

Serve with crusty bread or croutons on top.
Some children prefer the soup to be creamy. In this case, you can put the soup into a blender and purée until the soup is creamy. Add a little more water or broth to thin the soup if necessary. If you have an immersion blender, you can leave the soup in the saucepan and purée until creamy.
You can substitute 10 mL (2 tsp) dried parsley with fresh parsley.
Put leftovers away within 2 hours or sooner if they are in a warm location. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Discard uneaten leftovers after they have been reheated.

Ingredients
Celery	1 stalk
Onion	1
Garlic	1 clove
Fresh parsley	2 Tbsp (25 mL)
Vegetable oil	1 Tbsp (15 mL)
Dried oregano leaves	1 tsp (5 mL)
Reduced sodium vegetable broth	1.5 L (6 cups)
Diced tomatoes	1 can (28 oz/796 mL)
Black beans, drained and rinsed	1 can (19 oz/540 mL)
Uncooked brown rice	1/2 cup (125 mL)
Freshly ground black pepper	1/4 tsp (1 mL)
Cooked chopped chicken (optional)	250 mL (1 cup)

Directions

Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Clean all countertops and equipment used for food preparation.   
Gently rinse celery, onion, garlic and parsley under cool running water.
Chop the celery, onion and parsley and mince the garlic; set aside.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery, onion, garlic, parsley and oregano. Cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until softened.
Add broth, tomatoes, beans, rice and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender.
Stir in chicken (if using) and cook until the internal temperature reaches 74 ºC (165ºF) on a digital food thermometer before serving.