Description
This homemade tomato rice soup is a comforting and flavorful dish made with blended tomatoes, aromatic spices, and hearty brown rice. Perfectly seasoned and simmered to meld the flavors together, it’s an easy-to-make, nourishing meal that can be served with a dollop of yogurt and toasted sourdough bread for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red or yellow chili, seeded and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- Thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and sliced
- 14.5 oz chopped tomatoes, blended (one can)
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup brown rice (or any rice of choice)
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- 4 tbsp plain yogurt (or sour cream)
- A handful of curly parsley, chopped to garnish
- Optional: 4 slices sourdough bread, toasted
Instructions
- Prepare the tomato blend: In a blender, combine the chopped canned tomatoes, garlic cloves, and sliced ginger. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper according to your taste. Set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, chopped red bell pepper, and seeded chili. Cook these ingredients until they soften and become fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the rice: Stir in the brown rice with the sautéed vegetables, frying it for a couple of minutes to slightly toast the rice and enhance flavor. Stir frequently to avoid sticking.
- Add vegetable stock and simmer: Pour the vegetable stock into the pot, stirring to combine all ingredients. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it cook gently until the rice is tender, approximately 32 to 35 minutes.
- Incorporate the tomato mixture: Once the rice is cooked through, add the blended tomato, garlic, and ginger mixture to the pot. Allow the soup to simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes so that the flavors meld beautifully together. Adjust the consistency by adding more stock if the soup is too thick.
- Serve the soup: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add a spoonful of plain yogurt or sour cream on top of each bowl for creaminess.
- Garnish and enjoy: Sprinkle chopped curly parsley and freshly ground black pepper over the top. Serve immediately with slices of toasted sourdough bread on the side if desired for a complete meal.
Notes
- For a spicier flavor, keep the chili seeds or add more chili.
- You can substitute brown rice with white rice or any preferred grain, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.
- Vegetable stock can be replaced with chicken stock for non-vegetarian option.
- If you want a smoother texture, blend the soup after simmering.
- Yogurt or sour cream can be omitted or replaced with a vegan alternative for dairy-free diets.
- Store leftover soup in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
