Tomato Rice Soup

A ladle of tomato and rice soup over a pot of soup

5 from 6

This hearty and comforting Tomato Rice Soup, dating back to my childhood, never disappoints. Loaded with chunks of stew meat and long grain rice in a savory tomato broth, it's crazy delicious.

See below the recipe card for step-by-step images.

Prep Time10

Cook Time2 15

Total Time2 25

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: tomato and rice soup, tomato rice soup, tomato soup and rice

Servings: people

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