This easy recipe for vegetable rice soup is simple yet full of flavor. This homemade rice soup is packed with fresh vegetables, broth, diced tomatoes, and delicious seasonings. It's comforting, filling, &
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 Vegetable Rice Soup
This mixed 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 with without any meat.
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, chicken stock, beef bone broth, or a bouillon cube.
You can make fresh rice or use leftovers that you add to the soup at the end. Here is what else you will need to make rice soup with veggies.
- Long Grain Rice - this is my favorite choice and a pantry staple; jasmine or basmati is perfect.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - adds a sweet yet savory touch to the broth & the red chunks are so colorful.
- Cabbage - green cabbage cut in chunks make for tender ribbons of veggies.
- Carrots - a soup staple that is hearty & adds orange color.
- Celery - another soup staple.
- Onion - diced sweet onion versus dry minced for more flavor.
- Garlic - fresh cloves for an Italian touch.
- Spices - combination of salt, pepper, basil, bay, thyme, & red pepper flakes for a broth that is warming & well seasoned.
- Broth - I use mushroom broth for a vegan recipe but chicken or beef broth can be used.
See the recipe card for amounts and full instructions.
How to Make Vegetable Rice Soup
This 30-minute soup recipe takes just 5 minutes prep & 25 minutes to simmer. Here are the easy steps for making this homemade vegetarian soup:
- Cut & Prep the Vegetables
- Saute the Vegetables
- Add the Broth & Simmer
- Add the Rice & Finish Cooking
1 - Cut & Prep the Vegetables
Begin by washing and prepping the vegetables. The key to making a good soup is making sure the ingredients all cook evenly and are ready at the same time.
Be sure to chop the vegetables into uniform sizes so they are ready all at once. Aim for medium-sized chunks that are big enough to feel hearty but also bite-size.
2 - Saute the Vegetables
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.
3 - Add the Broth & Simmer
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.
4 - Add the Rice & Finish Cooking
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. This is because the rice will swell, expand, & continue to absorb broth when stored.
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.
Substitutions & 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.
FAQ
This recipe uses precooked rice because it yields the best tasting soup. I do not recommend using raw grains of rice & then cooking them in the soup. The starch that releases when cooking rice is unpleasant when cooked directly in the soup broth.
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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
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 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.
Nutrition
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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.
Toni says
Garlic???
Angela says
Thanks for the comment. I think you were asking how much garlic in the recipe. I recently updated this post and have included it in the recipe card now. Thanks for the catch!