Minephoney

So tonight, I decided to celebrate my triumphant return to the Champaign-Urbana area by creating a tasty meal for the lovely Christine, who amused me with Spring Break (Spring Break!) stories while I made for her a partially made-up concoction that originally came from this recipe, but became a strange hybrid because of my lack of several essential ingredients. Thus, below follows the directions for what has been dubbed "Minephoney". It is delicious. Screw Food Network. (Wait! No! Not really! Giada, I want to marry you and bear your parmesan-encrusted children! Come back!)

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"Minephoney"

2 tablespoons olive oil (or basil-infused olive oil, if you're cool like me and own it.)
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 package baby spinach
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tbp dried rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
1 (15-ounce) can white beans, drained, rinsed
2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium chicken broth
1 ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute about 7 minutes. Add the spinach, rice, and water; saute for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, onion powder, and rosemary. Simmer until the spinach is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans, shrimp, and parsley. Simmer until the shrimp are cooked and the soup is thick, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.