This easy recipe for vegetable rice soup is simple yet full of flavor. This gluten-free homemade soup is packed with fresh vegetables, broth, seasonings, diced tomatoes, and cooked long-grain rice. You can make fresh rice or use leftovers that you add to the soup at the end.
This recipe is vegetarian recipe thanks to vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth. I used my homemade VEGAN MUSHROOM BROTH when making this vegetable tomato rice soup to keep this vegetarian. In fact, it is vegan thanks to this broth swap and this recipe has no chicken or beef in it.

This healthy and hearty vegetarian rice soup is dairy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, and low-calorie. Homemade soup is an economical recipe great for anyone's budget. This vegetable rice soup is perfect for the thrifty cook that needs to make a quick cheap meal and watch their wallet.
This recipe is great when you have only a few fresh vegetables and some pantry staples but need to make lunch, a side dish, or dinner. Serve with homemade fluffy rolls or your favorite gluten-free crackers.
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Ingredients for this Vegetarian Soup
This vegetable rice soup calls for a base called mirepoix (French term) is a combination of onion, carrot, and celery generally cut to the same size. I cut it a bit bigger for a chunkier soup that is more stew-like. It feels heartier that way. The addition of cabbage and tomatoes gives the rice soup some more flavor. This makes it similar to minestrone only it is a gluten-free version without the pasta.
The vegetable rice soup calls for VEGAN MUSHROOM BROTH but you can also use vegetable broth or a bouillon cube. I do highly recommend making this homemade broth from leftover mushroom and vegetable scraps since it is so good.
How to Make Vegetable Rice Soup
After you have cut and prepped all the vegetables, you are ready to start adding ingredients to a large pot to begin cooking the vegetable and rice soup. In a large stockpot, heat the oil on medium. Add the chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they start to shrink and start to cook.
Next, add the garlic and seasonings to the pot with the vegetables that are cooking. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are all soft and have been cooked down. They should not be browned but soft and tender.
Then slowly pour the broth into the soup pot and turn the heat up to medium-high to bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low. Add the canned tomatoes and let simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Add the cooked rice to the vegetable soup and stir to combine. Let it cook for 3 minutes so that the rice absorbs a bit of the soup flavorings but not too much so that the rice becomes mushy. You can remove the bay leaf at this point in the soup-making.
When ready to serve, ladle the vegetarian rice soup into bowls and enjoy it immediately.
Serving and Storing Vegetable Rice Soup
If you do not plan to eat all of the soup immediately, I recommend keeping the soup and the rice separate until ready to eat. When storing these leftovers, place the soup in an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the rice, store it in a separate air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days also.
When you want to eat, spoon a bit of both together and reheat. If you store the rice and soup together, the rice will absorb most of the broth and become soggy and the soup will have very little liquid.
You can freeze this soup to enjoy later. When storing in the refrigerator, I recommend storing the soup and the rice separately. Or better yet, store the south and make fresh rice when you are ready to eat it. Rice soup will store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Defrost the soup in the container for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before reheating it in the microwave or stovetop.
Variations
This simple soup can be made in many ways to your liking. The combination of vegetables that can be used is endless in this easy soup recipe. Here are some ideas to help change up this soup so you can enjoy it often and never get bored of it.
- Carrots - instead of carrots use parsnips or potatoes.
- Can Tomatoes - use fresh when they are in season.
- Long Grain Rice - use precooked wild rice or brown rice instead.
- Extra Veggies - add any other of your favorite veggies - cauliflower, broccoli, peas, corn, etc.
- Spicy - add your favorite hot sauce or double the number of red pepper flakes.
- Grain-Free - use cauliflower rice instead of regular white rice; low-carb too.
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Easy Vegetable Rice Soup (vegetarian & gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil
- 1 C celery; stalks &leaves medium chunks
- 1 C carrots medium chunks
- 1 C green cabbage medium chunks
- ½ C onion small dice
- 1 15oz canned diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 C vegan mushroom broth - https://theshortordercook.com/vegan-mushroom-broth/ (or other vegetable broth/stock)
- 1 ½ C cooked long-grain white rice
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat the oil on medium. Add the chopped vegetables and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they start to shrink and cook.
- Add the garlic and seasonings to the pot with the vegetables that are cooking. Turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the vegetables are all soft and cooked through.
- SIDENOTE - If you do not have rice already made, at this point you will want to start cooking the rice using your favorite method such as a rice cooker or on the stove.
- Add the broth to the soup pot and turn the heat up to medium-high to bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low. Add the canned tomatoes and let simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Next, add the cooked rice to the vegetable soup and stir to combine. Let it come together for 3 minutes so that the rice absorbs a bit of the soup flavorings but not too much that the rice becomes mushy. Remove the bay leaf at this stage of the soup making.
- Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy immediately.
- If you do not plan to eat all of the soup immediately, I recommend keeping the soup and the rice separate until ready to eat. When storing leftovers, place the soup in an air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For the rice, store it in a separate air-tight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days also. When you want to eat, spoon a bit of both together and reheat. If you store the rice and soup together, the rice will absorb most of the broth and become soggy and the soup will have very little liquid.
Notes
Nutrition Facts | |
Servings: 4 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 147 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 3.8g | 5% |
Saturated Fat 0.6g | 3% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 1120mg | 49% |
Total Carbohydrate 23.9g | 9% |
Dietary Fiber 2.8g | 10% |
Total Sugars 4.6g | |
Protein 5.9g | |
Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
Calcium 49mg | 4% |
Iron 5mg | 27% |
Potassium 241mg | 5% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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Amanda says
This looks really good! I'm thinking I might swap out the white rice for brown rice and give that a try. Thanks!
Chantelle Kincy says
This looks so good!
Barbara says
I love soup! It warms me on the inside and makes me happy!
Angela says
Me too and I love it in summer too!
Sabrina DeWalt says
The best soups start with that homemade stock.
Marianne says
Looks really good! I don't think I have tasted mushroom broth before... interesting!
Angela says
I hope you give it a try.
Lisa, Casey, Barrett Dog says
What a fantastic recipe. We will be trying this for sure! Thank you for sharing.
Cindy Moore says
Yum this soup looks delicious! I'm definitely trying this recipe.