Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 lg. yellow onions, chopped
- 1 tsp. salt, divided
- 2 Tbsp. plus 3 cups water, divided
- ¼ cup arborio rice, rinsed
- 1 lg. bunch kale or green chard
- 14 cups gently packed baby spinach or cooking greens
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- To taste big pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 Tbsp./to taste lemon juice
Directions:
- Prepare the greens: Remove the ribs from the chard/kale and discard or save them for another recipe. Coarsely chop or tear the kale leaves. Trim any tough stems from the spinach/baby greens and roughly chop the leaves.
- Caramelize onions: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add 2 tablespoons of water and cover the skillet (I used a baking sheet to cover mine). Cook until onions are greatly reduced and have a deep caramel color, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently while the pan is still hot and occasionally once the pan has cooled down.
- Cook arborio rice: While the onions are cooking, combine the remaining 3 cups water and ¾ teaspoon salt in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add rice and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- When rice has cooked for 15 minutes, stir in the chard greens or kale. Return to a simmer; cover and cook for 10 minutes. When the onions are caramelized, stir a little of the simmering liquid into them. Then, add the onion mixture to the rice along with the spinach, vegetable broth and cayenne. Return to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring once, until the spinach is tender but still bright green, about 5 minutes more.
- Puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender until perfectly smooth, or in a regular blender in batches. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, sea salt or cayenne pepper, if desired.
