This hearty tomato and rice soup is an easy and budget-friendly dinner idea! With just a few pantry staples, this recipe comes together quickly.

 Tomato soup in white bowls

How to Make Tomato and Rice Soup

I’ve made lots of variations of tomato soup over the past year or two, but the addition of brown rice takes it from a side dish to the main dish. This is also a very economical soup, as all of the ingredients are quite inexpensive. If you’re making a large batch for a group, and you’re on a budget, try this one out.

tomato soup in a pot

Just a few pantry staples can be transformed into delicious tomato soup while your rice cooks at the same time.

rice in a rice cooker

Once the rice is ready, you simply mix it together and serve!

tomato and rice in a pot

The rice really makes this soup a lot more filling than traditional tomato soup, but you could still serve it with a grilled cheese on the side if you like!

Substitution Suggestions

  • You can use white or brown rice but I prefer brown because it has more protein and fiber than white rice.
  • You can use whole tomatoes instead of diced if you prefer. As you cook them, gently break them apart with a wooden spoon.
  • If you want to make this soup a little spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes!

tomato soup in bowls

How to Blend Hot Tomato Soup

  • I like to use an immersion blender because it’s less messy and it’s easier to achieve the perfect consistency. I like my soup a little chunky so an immersion blender lets me combine all the ingredients without making it perfectly smooth.
  • But if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can still blend this soup in a blender. I recommend working in two batches and letting the soup cool slightly before transferring, just so you don’t burn yourself! Remember to allow steam to escape from the blender so the soup doesn’t explode!
  • Do NOT try to blend the hot soup in a bullet style blender like a Nutribullet or Magic Bullet. The steam must escape or you risk an explosion! 
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tomato soup

Tomato and Rice Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 8 cups 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegan & gluten free
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Description

This hearty tomato and rice soup is an easy and budget-friendly dinner idea! With just a few pantry staples, this recipe comes together quickly.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot.
  2. Add in the diced onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
  3. Add the tomato paste and oregano and stir until the onion is coated, continuing to cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the vegetable broth, tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer.
  5. If you’d like a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can transfer it to a blender. Just be careful blending hot soup! Be sure to leave room for the steam to escape. You can also leave it chunky if you prefer.
  6. Transfer the soup back to the pot and add the brown rice. Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot.

Notes

Be careful when blending hot soups. If you have time, it’s safer to let the soup cool slightly before blending. This will help you avoid any hot and painful splatters!

Keywords: Tomato and Rice Soup

This soup is super filling (thanks to the fiber in the brown rice) and packed with healthy ingredients. It sticks to your ribs a little more than a bowl of standard tomato soup, but it doesn’t require any crazy ingredients. Yep, I’ll be making this one again, soon.

tomato soup

For more easy soup options, check these out!

Easy Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop)garlic lentil soup

 Vegan Chickpea Tortilla Soupchickpea tortilla soup

Chickpea Noodle Soupchickpea noodle soup

What’s your favorite thing to eat with tomato soup?

This recipe was originally published December 2013. Updated October 2019.