- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 zucchini, cut in quarters lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices
- 3/4 pound green cabbage, shredded
- 1 1/2 quarts canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
- 1 2/3 cups drained and rinsed canned pinto beans
- 1/2 cup arborio rice
- 3/4 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
- In a large pot, heat the 1/4 cup oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cabbage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes longer.
- Add the broth, beans, rice, potatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the rice and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
- Stir the pepper into the soup. Sprinkle each bowlful with Parmesan and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil.