You know those kinds of meals that bring back memories of your childhood? Well Vegetable Rice Soup does that for me. A few crackers and lots of pepper on top and I’m 7 years old again. This bowl of comfort reminds me of the Chicken and Rice Soup that I ate as a child, but obviously without the chicken.

In my opinion, this soup is perfect for any time of the year and is really easy to make. Feel free to add more (or less) vegetables such as zucchini or even leafy greens. I personally like a little corn in mine, because it gives it a little crunch.

Things to note when cooking this soup? It involves rice (duh!). No, but seriously, the longer that rice sits in a broth, it will have the tendency to absorb a lot of the liquid and expand. I’ve provided you with the amount of liquid that I like for my soup, but feel free to add more if you think you may like it a little more “brothy”. Also for the broth in this soup, I always prefer to use an Organic Low Sodium No Chicken Vegetable Broth. That way I have more control over the amount of salt that goes into my soup. So depending on what type of broth that you choose to use, you will need to adjust the amount of salt to suit your tastes.

If you choose to use Brown Rice, please know that it has a substantially longer cooking time (roughly 45 minutes or so), so you will need to plan accordingly.

Lastly, I used Italian Dried Herbs in this soup. I like the combination of Oregano, Thyme, Basil, Tarragon, etc. I also like to throw in a bay leaf and add some fresh herbs on top, but that’s totally up to you. Surprisingly, sometimes I even give this soup a squeeze of lemon. I find it gives it a refreshing zing, similar to my Lemon and Spinach Orzo Soup.

 

 

Get the Recipe: Vegetable Rice Soup

Yield: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
You know those kinds of meals that bring back memories of your childhood? Well Vegetable Rice Soup does that for me. A few crackers and lots of pepper on top and I’m 7 years old again. This bowl of comfort reminds me of the Chicken and Rice Soup that I ate as a child, but obviously without the chicken.
5 from 11 reviews
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
  • 2 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
  • 8 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed. ( I use this brand, which gives the soup that yellow color)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup long grain rice , rinsed, (short grain rice can be used as a substitution)
  • ¾ cup corn kernels, fresh, frozen, or canned

Optional Topping

  • flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, Add in the celery, carrots, onion and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add in the garlic and dried Italian herb seasoning and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in the vegetable broth and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil over medium heat. Remove the lid once the broth comes to a boil and stir in the rice and corn. Return the lid, and simmer until the rice is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so that rice doesn’t stick to bottom of pot.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Adjust the liquids, if needed. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
    Top with any fresh herbs, if using and enjoy.

Notes

The rice will continue to expand some even when removed from the heat.
Serving: 8ounces, Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 1916mg, Potassium: 297mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 8740IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg