Description
Cozy, one-pot tomato soup with tender rice, sweet aromatics, and bright herbs. Built mostly from pantry staples, it’s weeknight-easy, budget-friendly, and ready in about 35 minutes for a comforting, tomatoey bowl that feels both light and satisfying.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, finely diced (optional)
1 celery stalk, finely diced (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth (use gluten-free if needed)
1/2 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
1–2 teaspoons sugar, to taste
1–1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley, plus more for serving
Instructions
Prep the aromatics and rice.
Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery so they soften quickly and melt into the soup. Rinse the rice under cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.Sauté the vegetables.
Warm the olive oil in a 5–6 quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent with a few golden edges.Bloom tomato paste and spices.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, dried basil, dried oregano, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and smells toasty.Add tomatoes and broth.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add the sugar, remaining salt, and black pepper. Stir until the tomato paste is fully dissolved into the liquid.Simmer with the rice.
Bring the soup just up to a gentle boil, then stir in the rinsed rice. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15–18 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep the rice from sticking. Cook until the rice is tender and the broth has thickened slightly.Finish and adjust.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped fresh basil or parsley. Taste and adjust with more salt, pepper, sugar, or lemon juice as needed. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of broth or hot water; if it’s too thin, simmer uncovered a few more minutes.Serve.
Ladle into warm bowls. Top with extra herbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and/or a spoonful of yogurt or cream (or dairy-free yogurt) if you like. Offer extra black pepper or chili flakes at the table.
Notes
Use low-sodium broth and canned tomatoes so you can season to taste at the end.
Any long-grain white rice works. For brown rice, add more broth and extra simmer time.
To use leftover cooked rice, stir it in during the last 5–10 minutes of simmering and reduce the broth slightly.
For a lighter soup, use 1 tablespoon olive oil, add extra chopped vegetables, and/or reduce the rice to 1/3 cup.
For a creamy version, blend 1–2 cups of the soup (without rice) until smooth, stir back in, and finish with cream or plant cream off the heat.
Leftovers thicken as they sit; loosen with a splash of broth or water when reheating and warm gently.
To freeze, cook and freeze the tomato base without rice for best texture, then simmer fresh rice in the reheated base.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: soup recipes
- Method: One-pot, stovetop
- Cuisine: American