Tomato and red rice soup

Method
Prep:10min  ›  Cook:45min  ›  Ready in:55min 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the shallots and fry gently for 4–5 minutes or until softened.
2. Add the rice and stir to coat all the grains evenly with the oil, then cook gently for 30 seconds. Stir in the wine and boil rapidly for 30 seconds, then add the stock and the tomatoes with their juice.
3. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
4. Stir in the chopped oregano or basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, add 1 tbsp of crme frache to each one and top with a few basil leaves. Serve hot.

Another idea

To make mushroom and rice soup, replace the red rice with 75 g (2½ oz) long-grain white rice and use 75 ml (2½ fl oz) dry sherry instead of the white wine. After adding the sherry in step 2, boil until it has almost all evaporated, then stir in 350 g (12½ oz) finely chopped chestnut or closed-cup mushrooms. Cook for about 2 minutes or until softened. Pour in 750 ml (1¼ pints) chicken stock and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve hot, topping each serving with 1 tbsp soured cream and a few fresh tarragon leaves.

Plus points

Camargue red rice, from the wetlands of the Camargue region in southern France, is particularly nutritious, having a higher fibre content even than brown rice. Like all varieties of rice, red rice is an excellent ingredient to include in a healthy diet, as it is high in starchy carbohydrate and low in fat. * Tomatoes, originally known as love apples and once used only as an ornamental plant, are now valued as an important source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, both of which are powerful antioxidants.

Each serving provides

A * C, E, calcium, potassium