Thyme-Scented Mushroom-Rice Soup

So for my first vegan meal, I tried something out of the cookbook "One-Dish Vegetarian Meals" by Robin Robertson. I'm keeping a log of my recipes so that I can make the ones I like again and remember to avoid the yucky ones.


Thyme-Scented Mushroom-Rice Soup

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks (white parts only), chopped
1 celery rib, including leaves, chopped
1 cup long-grain white rice
5 cups vegetable stock or water
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
1 bay leaf
12 oz white mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
2 Tbsp minced fresh Italian parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, stock, wine, the dried thyme if using, and the bay leaf, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in the mushrooms, parsley, and the fresh thyme, if using. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.

My notes: I had never cooked with leeks before and I was a little scared because I'd heard they were so hard to clean. It turns out that they were super easy and not dirty at all (or my cooking is so bad that I just eat dirt and don't even notice). My celery didn't have any leaves on it, so I had to leave that part out. I don't usually like cooked celery, but this recipe called for so little that I could barely taste it. I bought some vegetable stock and it really made the dish extra flavorful. I used dried thyme because I'm too cheap to buy fresh. I did manage to find the bay leaf after cooking, so nobody choked to death! I used 16 ounces of mushrooms because I love mushrooms. I'm pretty sure my parsley was from Mexico and not Italy, but it still added a nice freshness to the dish. I forgot to add the salt and pepper, but it didn't need it because the broth was so flavorful. Maybe it's because I added in extra mushrooms, but this much thicker than a soup. Also, it took a lot longer than it stated for the rice to be completely tender. It was delicious and I will definitely make it again. It would be perfect alongside a tossed green salad and some hearty whole-wheat bread.