Passata and Rice Soup

Every summer our little family smashes tomatoes to make a giant stash of passata to get us through the gloomy months of winter. Usually, the passata gets lost in a ratatouille or hidden under pizza toppings, but in this soup, the passata is the superstar! It’s so simple too, and you’re sure to have most of the ingredients lying around in the crisper drawer getting soft.

Ingredients

• Olive oil, for pan-frying
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• A big handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves, and stalks chopped
• 100 g (1⁄2 cup) brown rice
• 90 g (1⁄3 cup) tomato paste
• 1-liter vegetable stock
• 750 ml (3 cups) tomato passata
• 1 x 400 g can diced tomatoes
• 2 good handfuls of mustard greens, chopped
• 250 ml (1 cup) red wine (optional)
• Crusty bread and butter, to serve

Method

1. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and parsley and cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until the onion is translucent.
2. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 3–5 minutes or until the grains start to become translucent. Pop in the tomato paste and stir through.
3. Pour in the stock, passata, and tomatoes. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 35–40 minutes or until the rice is just tender.
4. Add the mustard greens and red wine and cook for another 15–20 minutes or until the greens are nice and soft.

Family, Food and Feelings by Kate Berry, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Kate Berry.

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