Tomato Rice Soup
Updated
Updated
This hearty and comforting Tomato Rice Soup dates back to my childhood, and it never disappoints. With chunks of stew meat and long grain rice in a savory tomato broth, it’s so crazy delicious—it makes me want to curl up on the couch with a big bowl!
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5 STAR REVIEW
Easy Tomato Rice Soup
This tomato rice soup was a recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up. Now I make it for my kids and it remains a hit decades later. It takes your basic tomato soup and turns it into an ultra-cozy and comforting meal, perfect for cold winter nights.
You’ll find not only rice and canned tomatoes in this soup but also chunks of stew meat, which makes it hearty and so satisfying. This is definitely one of those soups where you can’t help but get a second helping even if your belly is full!
Looking for more tomato soup variations? Try my homemade tomato soup with pasta and this tomato tortellini soup.
Tomato Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs. lean beef stew meat
- olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth, (or stock)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup uncooked long grain white rice
- fresh chopped parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium high heat. Pat the beef very dry with a paper towel and, working in batches, place the beef in the pot, leaving space between each piece (if you crowd the pan, the pieces will not brown.) Leave the beef undisturbed for 2 or so minutes on the first side, flip and brown the other sides briefly. Transfer beef to a plate along with its juices. Repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if needed.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and tomato paste, cook 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Return partially cooked beef back to the pot along with the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and all the seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle bubble. Place lid on pot and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Add the rice and cook at a simmer for another 30 minutes or so until rice and beef are tender. (It will seem like the tiniest bit of rice, but it will absorb the liquid and expand a lot.)
- Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Video
Notes
- In the first step, you’re browning the beef for extra flavor. It will finish cooking while it simmers in the soup. Stew meat can be tough if overcooked and needs to cook slowly.
- This recipe only calls for ½ cup of rice, and yes, it does seem like a very small amount when you first add it to the pot. However, it absorbs the liquid and expands quite a bit to fill in the soup. If you add too much, it’ll soak up all the broth and become mushy.
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Tomato Rice Soup
Cook the meat: Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then brown the beef in batches, cooking for 2-3 minutes on the first side and then browning all other sides. Transfer to a plate with the juices.
Cook the onion: Reduce the heat, then sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Stir in 3 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp tomato paste until fragrant.
Simmer: Return the beef to the pot, then add 28 oz. crushed tomatoes, 6 cups broth, 2 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, and 1/8-1/4 tsp red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and simmer for 90 minutes.
Add the rice: Stir in ½ cup rice. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes or so, until rice and beef are tender. Stir in the parsley and enjoy!
How to Store
Store leftover tomato and rice soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze this soup for up to 2 months in a tightly sealed freezer-safe container or individual freezer-safe bags, keeping in mind that the rice will continue to absorb the broth. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. You may want to add a splash of beef broth or water to thin it out again.
What to Serve With Tomato Rice Soup
With rice, stew meat, and crushed tomatoes, this tomato rice soup makes a hearty and filling dinner on its own. Some popovers or a slice of crusty Dutch oven bread make a great addition (gotta soak up all that broth!), or you can pair it with a nice side salad to lighten it up a bit.
Oh my goodness this soup is delish!!! Wil DEFINATELY make again!!!
I loved this recipe. I did swap the stew meat for ground meat but it was so delicious. I can’t wait to try different variations!
So easy to put together in my pressure cooker! I doubled the recipe and used a couple of thick cut rib eye steaks and added 2 diced potatoes to use up things I had on hand. Delicious broth…such a hearty, soul healing soup made with simple ingredients. This is definitely a keeper.
Just wonderful. The beef was tender and the broth was perfectly seasoned. Loved the added rice.
This was DELISH!! Like a combination of tomato soup and beef stew. We loved it. Thank you so much for sharing.
A very appetizing soup for our “frigid temps”…thanks