Provencal Tomato Rice Soup
from http://frenchfood.about.com/

Both dried and fresh Provencal herbs enhance tangy tomatoes in this vividly flavored soup. Rice cooked directly in the vegetable broth gives off just enough starchiness to thicken the consistency. Serve this first course with an medium-acid red wine.

Brian and I added more vegetables than the recipe called for and the soup was somewhat chunky with vegetables. We liked the extra vegetables but the soup may be better if it were pureed after adding the tomato paste and water, perhaps even after adding the canned tomatoes, so that you end up with grains of rice in a tomato-vegetable broth. We found that the rice took longer than 20 minutes to cook.

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, diced (added a bit more)
1 rib celery, chopped (added 2 ribs)
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons orange zest
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups water
1 28oz can petite-diced tomatoes
1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (taste, if the tomatoes seem a bit too acidic, add a little more)
¼ cup white rice (doesn't seem like a lot, but amount was just right)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onions, carrot, celery, garlic, orange zest, thyme, and fennel seed for 5 minutes, until the vegetables start to become tender. Add tomato paste and water, whisking until the tomato paste is fully incorporated. Stir in canned tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, pepper, sugar, and rice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir in parsley and basil and serve hot.

Makes 8 servings.