From Cookie & Kate
This weather has us craving SOUP. This recipe is very forgiving and you can sub in just about any leafy green!
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons plus 3 cups water, divided
¼ cup arborio rice, rinsed (I used brown arborio rice)
1 large bunch chard
14 cups gently packed spinach or baby cooking greens
4 cups vegetable broth
Big pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste (I used over ¼ teaspoon)
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste
Serve with (optional): cooked brown basmati rice and cooked chickpeas
First prepare the greens by removing the ribs from the chard and coarsely chopping or tearing the leaves. Trim any tough stems from the spinach/baby greens and roughly chop the leaves.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons water and cover the skillet. Cook until the onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cook the arborio rice: While the onions are cooking, combine the remaining 3 cups water and ¾ teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add rice and bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. When the rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes.
When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them. Then add the onion mixture to the rice along with the spinach, vegetable broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, sea salt or cayenne pepper, if desired. Garnish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve in bowls over cooked rice and chickpeas for a more complete meal.