Recipe Of The Week: Pea and Carrot Soup With Pesto Rice

I've been looking for fun new recipes lately.  We're getting bored with the routine around here and I wanted to find some things that were veggie-full, but that my kids would gobble up.  And I found one!   This is my riff on a recent Rachel Ray recipe.  I swapped quinoa for the orzo to make it gluten free, and I subbed basil and walnuts for the mint and pine nuts in the pesto.  Hope you like it as much as we did!


Pea and Carrot Soup With Pesto Rice

1 cup brown rice
1/2 quinoa
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
2 Tbsp olive oil
6 carrots, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cups peas
dash salt and pepper
3/4 cup fresh parsley (or 4 tbsp dry parsley)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2-3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil

In medium pot, combine rice and quinoa.  Pour in 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until cooked - about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in stock pot.  Sautee carrots and onions until tender.  Add peas, salt, pepper and remaining 4 cups broth and 1 cup water.  Bring to a boil and then simmer.

Meanwhile, in food processor, combine parsley, basil, walnuts, cheese and garlic.  Process, drizzling in oil, until a smooth paste is formed.

To serve, stir pesto into hot rice.  Spoon rice into 4 bowls, then top with soup.  Or, if you prefer a more uniformed soup, stir pesto rice into the soup (note, soup will look cloudy, but tastes great!)