Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup is so easy to throw together and such a cozy meal. It uses rotisserie chicken and passata to keep it simple, and a mirepoix, garlic, and oregano give it more flavor. It's a more hearty soup than a classic tomato soup, and just as cozy – bonus points for filling up the whole family.
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Ingredients
This tomato rice soup recipe uses some simple ingredients that combine to make something so flavorful. Ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Passata: strained puréed uncooked tomatoes. Tomato purée also can be used, I just prefer the texture of the strained tomatoes (they're also a great base for tomato sauce).
- Mirepoix: a combination of ingredients that makes up the flavor base for the soup.
- Onion: one small yellow onion, minced.
- Celery: one stalk, finely chopped.
- Carrot: one large carrot, chopped as fine as you can get it.
- Garlic: four garlic cloves minced.
- Rotisserie chicken: store bought rotisserie chicken works just fine. You can alternatively roast your own whole chicken, or use leftover chicken from another recipe (just make sure it wasn't cooked in a strong marinade or anything).
- Broth: chicken stock, chicken broth, vegetable stock, vegetable broth, all work.
- White rice: basmati rice, jasmine rice, or long grain white rice all work. Dried oregano: adds a nice herbaceousness.
- Salt: kosher salt, always.
- Pepper: fresh cracked black pepper is best if you can use it.
How to make chicken tomato and rice soup
1. Warm a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle in olive oil and add the mirepoix – onion, carrot and celery – cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
3. Pour in the passata and chicken stock, bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat.
4. Add the uncooked rinsed rice. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring a few times.
5. Stir in the cut up rotisserie chicken. Let that simmer in with everything for a few minutes until warmed through and the rice is finished cooking.
Tips and tricks
- Rinse the rice well before you add it to the pot. It’s important to rinse off the excess starch so the soup doesn’t become too thick.
- This recipe calls for shredded chicken or cubed, honestly I just do whatever is easiest at the time for getting it off the bone, it usually falls as a mixture of both.
- If you want to use brown rice, you’ll need to cook it for longer and add more broth as needed. Brown rice takes around 30 minutes to cook, as opposed to white rice which is around 10-15 minutes. I would not recommend wild rice because its cook time is too long (45 minutes).
- You can use cooked rice if you’d like or have some left over from another recipe, but then reduce the amount of broth you add by 1 cup.
- A great way to get the most use out of the whole chicken is by making stock once you pick off the meat. Put the carcass in a large pot, cover it with water, and put any cooking scraps you have in with it such as onion peel, garlic, carrot tops, etc. Simmer for a few hours and strain. Save in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for 3-4 months.
- I like to serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and fresh herbs – I used thyme, but parsley would be great.
- Always taste for salt and add more if needed based on your preference.
Storage and reheating
- Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To reheat, warm in a saucepan on medium heat or in the microwave for a few minutes.
- The rice may continue to absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to add another splash of broth or water to get it back to its original soupy consistency.
Instant pot instructions
Follow the recipe instructions but when you add the rice, cover the pot and pressure cook on high for 3 minutes, then natural release for 8 minutes. Add the chicken when the rice is done cooking to warm it through.
FAQs
It is good for you in moderation. However, with a higher glycemic index, brown rice is a healthier alternative.
Tomatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and are low in carbs. Read more about their nutrition information here.
Not for this recipe, no. The rice will cook in with the broth and passata, giving it even more flavor as it absorbs them. If you have leftover rice though it is totally fine to use.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Tomato and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion diced, 1 cup
- 1 stalk celery chopped, ½ cup
- 1 large carrot chopped, ½ cup
- 4 cloves garlic minced, 2 tbsp
- 25 oz passata
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup white rice rinsed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 lb rotisserie chicken
Instructions
- Warm a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes until very fragrant and beginning to soften.
- Add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
- Pour in the passata and chicken broth, bring to a gentle boil over medium high heat.
- Add the uncooked rinsed rice. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring a few times.
- Stir in the cut up rotisserie chicken. Let that simmer in with everything for a few minutes until warmed through and the rice is finished cooking.
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