Chickpea and Rice soup with Kale

Another Vegan recipe. This soup is awesome! We had it for sunday dinner because it's still pretty cold out here in Boston and this was the perfect remedy. I made it with the artisan bread Jess posted a little while ago and it made for a great meal. The only thing you have to prep before hand is soaking the cashews for a few hours and it's better the next day as leftovers as the flavors blend.

Chickpea & Rice Soup with Kale

Six servings • 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, diced chunky
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed- I only used 1 can and it was fine
• 4 cups chopped kale
• (green onions as garnish optional)

Instructions

1. After soaking, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth. You don't want any gritty bits if you can help it. And if you're not firing up a Vitamix, this could take some time. Like maybe 5 whole minutes.
2. Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.
3. Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 minutes, until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.
4. Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors will mingle.