chickpea, rice & pasta soup

I made this a day or two after I made this brown rice bowl and needed to use up the extra rice I had leftover. Normally I make fried rice but we had just recently had some, so I made some soup and called it dinner. And oh, it was good and simple....and very economical! Just root around your fridge/cupboard for those wayward items you don't know what to do with and throw 'em in a pot. This is pretty much how many of our meals come into being since I hate letting things go to waste. The soup has rice, beans and even some alphabet pasta, so it's definitely hearty and filling, and the salsa and chilies help to give it a nice kick for a perfect weeknight meal.

chickpea, rice & pasta soup
1 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
500 g fresh salsa or diced tomatoes
4c vegetable stock
1 T cumin
1 t red chili pepper flakes
1-2 c cooked leftover brown rice
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1/4 c tiny pasta (I used alphabets)
salt & pepper
fresh parsley sprigs, chopped

In a large pot, heat up olive oil over med-high heat and add in onion, garlic, and celery. Let them get soft and translucent and then add in the salsa and the spices. Add in rice, chickpeas and pasta and cover with vegetable stock, adding more stock if needed. Let simmer until the pasta is cooked through. Taste and add in salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley.