A Thousand Smiles Soup!
(alias Cabbage and Rice Soup)

We just served this delicious soup to over 100 guests during our recent Inner Renewal Week. Many Ananda residents volunteered in The Expanding Light kitchen to make manifest our slogan “Many hands make a miracle”. Every day several people donned hat and apron, prayed with us and then washed, chopped or stirred – whatever was needed.

And here’s the story about the name of the soup: I was chatting with a table of folk who loved the soup. I shared with them how much joy had gone into its making: After Seva had washed and chopped the leeks with delightful, joyful energy, I put them on to sauté. I then peeked into the soup pot and saw them – and behold they looked like a thousand
smiles! Lalaan, ever enthusiastic and determined to make the name more ‘magnetic’ (she is after all our Director of Marketing), said ”That’s it! That should be the name of this soup - A Thousand Smiles. It’s so much more than cabbage and rice.” And so it is. May it bring a smile to you as you make it, and to those whom you serve.

Serves: 6 generous servings

Ingredients:

    1 leek, cleaned and finely chopped
    ¼ C olive oil
    4 carrots, peeled and grated or chopped fine
    4 celery stalks, washed and chopped fine
    ½ C brown short grain or basmati rice rinsed well
    3 TBSP tomato puree
    1+ TBSP dill
    6C water with 2 TBSP non salted veggie broth
    1 head green cabbage, shredded finely then chopped into 1” lengths
    ¼ tsp Sambal Olek (pepper sauce) or crushed red chili
    ½ tsp salt

Directions:

• Place leek and oil in soup pot and sauté for 10 - 15 minutes
• Add carrots and celery and sauté covered another 15 minutes
• Add rice, tomato, dill and water with veggie broth
• Mix well
• Add cabbage and mix gently
• Cover and bring to boil, then simmer covered 45 minutes or so till rice cooked and cabbage soft.
• Add salt and pepper sauce as needed.
• Add more water as needed for desired consistency.

Enjoy with Navy Bean Spread and Rosemary Olive Bread. We did!

More recipes

• Navy Bean Spread Recipe
• Rosemary Olive Bread Recipe