Ingredients
- Main Ingredients:
Instructions
In a medium bowl, season pork with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper; stir together and set aside. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add oil. Stir in onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened. Add seasoned pork and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes or until pork is no longer pink. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes.
Add thyme, rosemary, diced tomatoes (with juice), Parmesan rind, beef broth, RiceSelect® Royal Blend, Italian seasoning and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Season with remaining salt and remaining pepper. Remove Parmesan rind, rosemary sprigs and thyme sprigs. Stir in cannellini beans and spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
Transfer soup to 6 serving bowls and serve immediately.
Tips:
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and chili flakes before serving, if desired.
Garnish Design:
Make a bouquet garnish or sachet by tying Parmesan rind, rosemary and thyme together with twine or by enclosing in cheesecloth for easy removal.
About Spinach
The leaves of spinach contain a lot of water, which is released quickly when heated. Preparing spinach is simple and takes only a few minutes. Due to the drastic reduction in volume caused by this, once cooked, a large panful of spinach can easily turn into a handful. The water that is released must be properly drained or the leaves will be soggy and unpleasant.
Young spinach leaves, also known as baby spinach, can be used fresh in smoothies or salads and go well with foods that have a citrus or tangy flavor.
In addition to the fresh leaves, you can also purchase frozen spinach; it is often cut finely and frozen into little blocks. It can be put into smoothies or straight from the freezer added to stews, soups, curries, and sauces. For cooking, heat until completely defrosted and heated.
How to Prepare and Cook Spinach
Before using, baby spinach leaves only require a brief rinsing. You might wish to give the elder leaves a deeper cold water wash and cut or remove any woodier stems.
Blanched
Bring water to a boil in a big pan after filling it halfway. Place the cooked spinach in the pot of boiling water. It will rapidly begin to wilt; after it does (in about 1-2 minutes), pour it through a colander and let all the extra water drain out. Pressing the spinach through the colander with the back of a spoon or the underside of a ladle can assist to drive the excess water out of the spinach.
Cooked spinach should be placed in a serving plate with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. A little grated nutmeg is also an option.
Spinach should be immediately placed in a dish of ice water after it has wilted if you wish to serve it cold or heat it through later in another recipe. This will keep its brilliant color while quickly cooling it down. Once cooled, carefully drain and wipe the spinach dry using paper towels.
Wilted
Simply fill a colander with your washed baby spinach and set it over the sink. Boil a full kettle.
As soon as the water has boiled carefully pour the contents of the kettle over the spinach so the water wilts the leaves then runs through the colander down the drain.
Force the excess water away from the spinach by pressing it down in the colander with the back of a spoon or ladle then season and serve or use in your chosen recipe.
Try some fresh spinach in our QuinoaFrittata Recipe
Looking for more Italian meals? Find your favorite orzo recipe here!
