Greens, rice and yoghurt soup for neglected greens

This is the soup I need in my life.  The list of ingredients reads like a list of green vegetables I buy with good intentions but too often find in a wilted soggy mess at the bottom of the fridge.  The soup tastes good and is healthy and will keep well in the fridge. 

The soup was far thinner than many that I make but was redeemed by adding brown rice and yoghurt.  The parsley taste was quite prominent but in a good way.  Which made me feel good about using it because it was given to me by the lovely Carmen after we had lunch at Pope Joan last week.

This soup will readily accommodate whatever leafy vegetables or herbs you have on hand.  It will work well with other seasonings, especially if you don't have tofu bacon marinade to use.

I didn't plan to blog it.  But it looked so pretty and was a fine accompaniment to a good book.  I had it for a quick lunch and loved eating it for dinner after swimming with a slice of freshly baked sourdough bread.

I am sending this soup to:

• Lisa for the No Croutons Required event that she runs with Jacqueline.  
• Cindy at Gluten Free Mama for Gluten Free Fridays #140.
• Karen at Lavender and Lovage for Cooking with Herbs.
• Lucy at Baking Queen for this month's Credit Crunch Munch, coordinated by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 All!

More green soups on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Asparagus, potato and quinoa soup (gf, v)
Broad bean, courgette and pea soup (gf, v) 
Cream of broccoli soup
Curried apple soup (gf)
Nettle and silverbeet soup (gf, v)
Pea and garlic soup (gf)
Potage St Germain (split pea and green pea soup) (gf, v)
Silverbeet, lentil, potato soup (gf, v)
Spring onion soup (gf)

Greens rice and yoghurt soup
Original recipe by Green Gourmet Giraffe
Serves 4-6

1 tsp rice bran oil
1 onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
4 cups vegetable stock
400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 large silverbeet (chard) leaves. chopped
2-3 large curly green kale leaves, chopped
1 tbsp tofu bacon marinade
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
handful of cos lettuce leaves
handful of parsley
Seasoning
2-3 cups cooked brown rice
plain yoghurt (or cashew cream), to serve

Fry onion and celery in oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until vegetables brown and start to soften.  (Perhaps 5 - 10 minutes.  Celery seems to take longer to cook than onion.)  Add zucchini and garlic and fry another 5 minutes or until zucchini is starting to soften around the edges.  Add stock, beans, silverbeet, kale, tofu marinade and mustard.  Bring to boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir in lettuce and parsley until wilted.  Remove from heat and blend until smooth (I used a hand held blender.  Check seasoning and adjust to taste.  To serve, stir in about 1/2 cup brown rice and a good spoonful of yoghurt to each bowl.

On the Stereo:
Bleecker and McDougal: Fred Neil