A basic and homey soup made with inexpensive vegetables and rice; this soup is sure to make you feel all warm and cozy inside!
When I was young, my mother used to make what most Newfoundlander’s refer to simply as rice soup. Oddly though, the soup was anything but rice! It was packed with vegetables and usually two different meats, and sometimes, there was pasta in there too!
My mom’s soup was always very thick. There was just enough broth to add a few crackers – also very popular among Newfoundlanders – but, you really didn’t need it!
My version of this soup is vegetarian. Even though I’m not one to shy away from meat, I wanted this soup to be meat-free and so that John.e could enjoy it too. It’s still hearty and it’s still filling, so save the meat for something else. Besides, we could all do with skipping meat a few times a week!
Change is good!
One of my favourite things about this soup is that it is very flexible. You can add other vegetables to it if you prefer. My mother’s soup would have turnip and potato in it, and sometimes chopped cabbage, but there was never celery!
She always added a can of diced tomatoes to it too, so you can certainly do that if you wish. Just remember, if you’re adding any other types of vegetables to account for the cooking time. For example, it will take the carrots a little longer to cook through than it will for the potatoes. So adjust your cooking time to compensate.
Also keep in mind that the more ingredients you add to the soup, you’ll obviously need more vegetable stock. I would add about 1/2 cup of stock for every cup of extra vegetables added.
Any rice will do!
When making soups with rice, I tend to use an instant white rice. There’s no steadfast rule that you have to use white rice. You could use brown rice or even Basmati. The different rices will change the taste slightly, as well as the texture.
This is a great way to use up plain leftover rice. I do this often, in fact. I prefer to use cooked and cooled rice in soups, because I can more easily keep the rice from being overcooked.
I place the rice into the pot and stir it through after all of the vegetables are cooked. The heat from the broth will easily re-heat the rice.
Conclusion:
This is also a great soup to make ahead of time and freeze. Everything in this recipe will freeze and re-heat nicely without compromising the texture much at all.
Since this soup is a great soup to have on hand when you’re not feeling well, it would be a good idea to keep a few small containers in the freezer. It sure does beat soup from a can!
By the way, if you’re looking for a soup with potato, you have to try my Poor Man’s Soup. It’s one of the most popular soup recipes here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen!
Vegetable Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups cooked rice, cooled
- 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions. Saute the onions until translucent – about 3-5 minutes.
- Next, add the chopped garlic. Stir into the onions and saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, black pepper, oregano, and thyme. Stir and saute – stirring often – for 7-10 minutes.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot and continue to cook for 25-30 minutes. If you carrots are cooked through sooner, you can cut back on the cooking time.
- Lastly, reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped parsley and cooked rice. Stir into the broth and vegetable mixture.
- Since the rice is already cooked, the heat from the broth will warm through the cooled rice quickly. Do not continue to cook or the rice will be over cooked. Serve will still hot.
Nutrition
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