Carrot and Rice Soup
The perfect post-vaccine soup if you are feeling a little fragile because it's warm, soothing and gently nourishing; comforting and restoring on a cold winter's day.
Ingredients
100g butter
200g onion, finely chopped
200g carrots, coarsely grated
1 medium potato, peeled and coarsely grated
1 leek, washed and chopped
800ml water or chicken stock (not cube)
25g long grain rice
Rather generous grating of nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Method
Melt half the butter in a pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook gently until opaque
Add the grated carrot, potato, leek with the rest of the butter and fry very gently for about 5 minutes, stirring
Add the rice, then add the chicken stock or water, generously grate in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer very gently with a lid on the pan for 20 minutes or so, by which time the rice and vegetables should be cooked.
Helpful Hints
This is undoubtedly at its best when made with good chicken stock. However, if you don't have some to hand, it's perfectly acceptable to make it with water and I think - on this unusual occasion - better than using a stock cube.
