This hearty and comforting Tomato Rice Soup dates back decades from 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 – you’ll want to curl up on the couch with a big bowl!
Looking for more tomato soup variations? Try my homemade tomato soup with pasta and this tomato tortellini soup too.
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 own 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!
Why You’ll Love This Tomato and Rice Soup Recipe
- Super hearty and filling. This isn’t a basic tomato soup recipe. With chunks of stew meat and rice, this soup is extra filling.
- Easy. You’ll just need to brown the meat then toss everything in the pot to simmer for about 2 hours. The simmer time ensures that the beef is nice and tender and that all the flavors meld together.
- Only a handful of simple ingredients. Other than the stew meat, it’s likely all the ingredients needed are already in your cupboard.
Ingredients Needed
Besides the stew meat, tomatoes, and rice, you’ll need just a few pantry staples for this soup recipe.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Stew meat – Using lean beef stew meat makes this tomato rice soup extra hearty and filling.
- Onion & garlic – Aromatics added for wonderful flavor.
- Tomato paste – Enhances the tomato flavor in the broth.
- Crushed tomatoes – The base of our tomato soup.
- Beef broth – I always use low sodium broth in soups to have more control over the saltiness.
- Soy sauce & Worcestershire sauce – Both add savory umami undertones to the broth.
- Spices – Dried thyme, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes season the soup.
- Long grain white rice – The uncooked rice absorbs the beef broth and tomato juices as it cooks, adding an extra layer of flavor.
- Chopped parsley – A garnish for serving which adds a bit of extra flavor and pop of color.
How to Make Tomato Rice Soup
Here’s an overview of how to make tomato and rice soup.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- 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 the garlic and tomato paste until fragrant.
- Simmer. Return the beef to the pot then add the crushed tomatoes, broth, and seasonings. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle bubble and simmer for 90 minutes.
- Add the rice. Stir in the rice. Continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes or so, until rice and beef are tender. Stir in the parsley and enjoy!
Tips for Success
Here are a few tips to keep in mind when making this tomato soup with rice and beef.
- Cook the beef in batches. The goal in cooking the beef is to get a nice sear on one side and brown the others. Try to leave an inch between each piece of beef so they sear and not steam.
- Don’t overcook the beef. In the first step, you’re simply 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, as it does in the soup.
- Don’t add extra rice. This recipe only calls for 1/2 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.
Video: Tomato Rice Soup
Serving Suggestions
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 makes 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.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover tomato and rice soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. 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. 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.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Beef and Barley Soup
- Vegetable Beef Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Tomato Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 pounds lean beef stew meat
- olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium beef broth (or stock)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8-1/4 red pepper flakes
- 1/2 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, them 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.
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