Heat cooking oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrot, fennel and onion. Cook until tender about 4-5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add bay leaves, stock/broth, water, and rice to pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the rice is cooked about 25-30 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas, green peas, spinach, and dill. Cook until spinach is wilted and peas are tender (about 2-3 minutes)
Stir in lemon juice and season again with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve immediately with fresh lemon slices if desired.
Notes
Recipe: This recipe is inspired by the Greek lemon chicken soup (Avgolemono). Inspired by, but not the same. This is a vegetable version without chicken. The original recipe includes tempering an egg into the broth and typically also includes butter and flour. This recipe hits some of the same flavor notes.Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. The soup will stay fresh for about 6 days.Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
Instead of basmati rice - you can use short grain rice or brown rice. If you’re using brown rice, add an extra 25 minutes to the cooking time.