{38 Power Foods} Escarole and Brown Rice Soup

Simple Escarole and Brown Rice Soup

Having finished with vegetables and fruits, our little group of bloggers working its way through Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients (by Martha Stewart and the editors of Whole Living Magazine) move on to grains and legumes, beginning with Brown Rice.

Rice is a significant part of the diet for much of the world.  Did you know that each day about half the world’s population gets as much as half of its daily calories from this grain? (I sure didn’t.)

Brown rice, considered a whole grain because it’s bran and germ is still present, is much more nutritious than white rice which has had it’s bran and germ polished away. Each cup of brown rice has about 3.5 grams of fiber and is an excellent source of manganese, as well as a good source of selenium, magnesium, vitamin E and the B vitamins.

Whole grains, like brown rice, are great for weight loss too. According to a long running Harvard Medical School / Brigham and Women’s Hospital study, women who consume more whole grains consistently weigh less than those who eat less of these fiber-rich foods!

I chose a simple escarole and brown rice soup that is slightly adapted from The UltraMetabolism Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes that Will Turn on Your Fat-Burning DNA. It’s thick, hearty and satisfying, but with a delicate flavor. With just a few ingredients it’s easy to make. While I made it on the stovetop, I think it would work well in the slow cooker too. I made a few adjustments to this recipe, cutting back on the olive oil and using yellow onion instead of shallots to avoid having to make a trip to the grocery store.

Enjoy!

Escarole and Brown Rice Soup

4.0 from 1 reviews

{38 Power Foods} Escarole and Brown Rice Soup

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Simple comfort food, thick and hearty, yet delicate in taste from The Ultrametabolism Cookbook

Author: Simple Nourished Living

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 head escarole (about 1 pound)
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons minced shallot (I used onion instead)
• 3 tablespoons minced celery
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¾ cup brown rice
• 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Remove any discolored or damaged outer leaves from the escarole. Wash the escarole thoroughly. The best way to do this is soak the leaves in a large bowl of water for several minutes and then gently remove them without disrupting any sand or dirt that may have settled in the bottom of the bowl.
2. Cut the escarole leaves crosswise into ¾-inch thick ribbons.
3. Heat the oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the shallots and celery and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and rice and stir to coat with oil.
4. Add the escarole and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it wilts.
5. Add the broth and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook covered, until the rice is tender, about 35 minutes.
6. Stir in the black pepper.
7. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.

Notes

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1 cup): 144 calories, 3.3 g fat, 22.6 g carbs, 3.5 g fiber, 6.2 g protein and 4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus

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3.1.09

Be sure to check out what these other participating bloggers have cooked up with brown rice. (If you are interested in joining us, contact Mireya at My Healthy Eating Habits. We’d love to have you join us.)

• Alyce -  More Time at the Table
• Ansh - Spice Roots
• Jeanette - Jeanette’s Healthy Living
• Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits
• Sarah - Everything in the Kitchen Sink
• Chaya - My Sweet & Savory
• Minnie - The Lady 8 Home

Sources

• The UltraMetabolism Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes that Will Turn on Your Fat-Burning DNA
• Power Foods: 150 Delicious Recipes with the 38 Healthiest Ingredients
• The World’s Healthiest Foods

More Weight Watchers Friendly Brown Rice Recipes…

• My post and recipe for Tomatoes, Basil and Brown Rice
• Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole – like a burrito in a bowl (Weight Watchers)
• Simple to make and very healthy Pineapple Brown Rice (Skinny Kitchen)
• How to make foolproof oven baked brown rice (A Veggie Venture)
• A skinny healthy recipe for Brown Fried Rice (SkinnyTaste)