Cayenne pepper. You either love it or hate it. If you haven’t tried cayenne and aren’t sure, this Cayenne Lemony Green Soup with Brown Rice is the perfect dish to give it a try. The flavorful yet mild taste of the vegetables come alive with just the added bit of heat from the cayenne. Whether eaten fresh or dried and ground, cayenne is a staple in cuisines from around the world. Southwestern American, Mexican, Cajun, Creole, Korean, Sichuan, and other Asian cuisines all use cayenne.

But in addition to turning the heat up a notch, cayenne also brings the health benefits. Whether you’re looking to ease pain, boost your antioxidant levels, or treat colds and congestion, cayenne can help. This is one hot chili pepper with loads of benefits!

Yield: 6 Servings

Total Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped kale
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 4 red onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups water
• 4 cups homemade vegetable broth
• 1/2cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Add the two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and cook the onions over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 minutes until they start browning.

Lower the heat and pour in two tablespoons of water. Cover and lover the heat and cook for 25 minutes until the onions caramelize, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, add the remaining water and some salt to a Dutch oven and stir in the rice. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until tender. Stir in the kale into the cooked rice, cover and cook for 10 more minutes.

Add the onions to the rice mixture together with the broth, spinach and cayenne and simmer for 5 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the rice mixture until smooth then stir in the lemon juice.

Serve into soup bowls and drizzle each with some olive oil. This Cayenne Lemony Green Soup with Brown Rice is sure to please!

Nutritional Information per Serving:

Calories: 215; Total Fat: 6.7 g; Carbs: 31.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.6 g; Sugars: 2.5 g; Protein: 7.3 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 619 mg