Tomato Rice Soup (30-Minute Pantry Dinner)
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Simmer up a pot of this cozy tomato and rice soup anytime you need a simple, nourishing vegetarian, and gluten-free dinner. It’s ready in 30 minutes!
The Humble Pantry Soup You’ll Make on Repeat
Some soups just feel like home. This tomato rice soup takes me back to my mother’s Mediterranean kitchen, where I learned that a few humble ingredients from the pantry can quickly turn into a comforting feast.
A vegetarian soup based on a can of tomatoes, a cup of rice, and a few veggies and aromatics, I think of this as the ultimate weeknight supper. Chop a few vegetables, sauté, then simmer, and it’s ready to go. A little oregano, sweet paprika, and coriander give the broth a gentle warmth, and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil at the end brings it all together. It has a similar cozy vibe to pappa al pomodoro, but it’s gluten-free, and made with vegetable broth so it’s vegan, too!
This tomato and rice soup recipe is a true pantry dinner for nights when it feels like you’ve got nothing in the fridge. The vegetables last for weeks in the vegetable drawer, and the canned tomato, boxed stock, and rice are, for me, cupboard staples. It all happens in one pot in about 30 minutes, so this is the dinner I make when I’m due for a grocery run, but I still want something cozy and nourishing on the table in a hurry!
Key Ingredients
- Basmati rice is my go-to for white rice dishes where I want a tender, fluffy texture. The rice will cook from dry to tender right in the soup. You don’t need to soak it, but you do have to rinse it first to remove excess surface starch that might make the broth gluey.
- Extra virgin olive oil is a non-negotiable for me anytime I’m sautéeing vegetables as the base of a soup. Cooking the vegetables before adding liquid develops their sweet, savory notes, and a great olive oil adds its own layer of flavor.
- Vegetables: A foundation of sautéed onion, celery, and carrot, plus garlic gives this vegetarian soup a lot of body.
- Spices: Dried oregano and ground coriander add herbal depth, and sweet paprika seasons the broth with red bell pepper sweetness. A dash of freshly ground black pepper gives it warmth.
- Canned tomatoes: A big can of diced tomatoes is the source of the red color and the tomatoey flavor here. Be sure to add in all of the juices from the can too! Use fire-roasted tomatoes if you have them; they add a nice savory smokiness to this recipe.
- Broth or stock: Even though the diced tomatoes add a good bit of liquid, I still like to add a full quart of either vegetable broth or chicken stock. The rice will drink up a lot of it as it cooks, so much so that you might find you need to add a little more water or broth to adjust the texture of the soup.
- Fresh parsley: If I’ve got some, I add a little chopped fresh parsley to the finished soup. The fresh, sharp parsley flavor wakes it up and the green flakes look nice.
- Lemon: The tomatoes and vegetables each add their own sweetness. I like to squeeze a lemon wedge into my bowl just before eating to layer in some sharpness.
How to Make Tomato Rice Soup
- Rinse the rice. Put 1 cup uncooked basmati rice in a bowl and cover it with water. Swirl it with your hand, then drain. Repeat several times until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. To a large Dutch oven set over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add 1 chopped medium yellow onion, 2 chopped celery ribs, 2 peeled and chopped carrots, and 2 minced garlic cloves, and season with a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the spices. Add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika, and a big pinch of black pepper. Stir briefly to coat.
- Add the tomatoes and broth. Pour in 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with their juices and the 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Cook the rice. Stir in the rinsed rice. Lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn’t stick, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Serve. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, add more broth or hot water, 1/4 cup at a time. Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some chopped fresh parsley, and a squeeze of lemon, if you like.
The Best Type of Rice for Soup
I reach for delicate basmati rice most often when making this soup, but you could also use a long-grain white rice or jasmine rice for this recipe. If you have parboiled rice, that’ll work, too, and may cook even more quickly.
I haven’t tried making this soup using brown rice, but if you’re hoping to add a whole grain, you can definitely try it. I think if I were going to go this route, I would par-cook it in water while you chop and sauté the vegetables, as it will need to simmer for longer to cook to tenderness.
If adding gluten to the recipe isn’t an issue, you can also substitute orzo for the rice. The recipe will cook even more quickly!
What to Serve with Tomato Rice Soup
Because there’s rice right in the soup, I think of it as a complete meal, but to add a boost of protein, I might reach for some canned beans and make a quick balela salad or a chickpea salad on the side.
If you’re not serving vegetarians, this soup would be a great partner to a leafy tuna white bean salad or a tangy, creamy shrimp salad.
More Mediterranean Tomato Soup Recipes
Tomato Rice Soup (30 minutes, One Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more to finish
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 to 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken stock
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the rice. Put the rice in a bowl and cover it with water. Swirl it with your hand, then drain. Repeat several times until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and season with a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring regularly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the spices. Add the oregano, paprika, coriander and a big pinch of black pepper. Toss briefly to coat.
- Add the tomatoes and broth. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the broth. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Cook the rice. Stir in the rinsed rice. Lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally so the rice doesn't stick, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.
- Adjust and serve. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, add water, 1/4 cup at a time. Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some parsley and a squeeze of lemon, if you like.
Recipe Notes
- Shop this recipe: Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients, including the olive oil and spices used in this recipe.
- What Type of Rice to Use: I reach for delicate basmati rice most often when making this soup, but you could also use a long-grain white rice, jasmine rice or parboiled rice. that’ll work, too, and may cook even more quickly. Use brown rice, to add more fiber, but par-cook it in water first before adding it to the soup. You can also substitute orzo for the rice, but it wouldn’t be gluten-free anymore
- How to store Tomato Rice Soup: Let the soup cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice will keep soaking up the broth as it sits, so the soup will be much thicker the next day. When you reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stir in a splash of water or broth to loosen it up, then finish with a fresh drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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