Recipe for: Tomato soup with rice (traditional, homemade) - photo 1
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Recipe for: Tomato soup with rice (traditional, homemade)

Soups Regional Cuisine of Poland 30 min Easy 1 views ~15.80 PLN - (0)
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Description

Classic Polish tomato soup with rice is an aromatic, slightly tangy, and creamy soup, popular throughout Poland as a comforting homemade dish. This version combines the sweetness of sautéed vegetables with the acidity of tomatoes and the tenderness of white rice, creating a nutritious, warm meal perfect for autumn days. It can be served with a dollop of sour cream or natural yogurt and fresh parsley; it works well as a family lunch, a light dinner, or a first course on a Sunday table. The soup is simple to prepare, easy to season, and looks beautiful in deep bowls – the red color of the tomatoes contrasts with the white grains of rice and the green of the parsley. In this version, I suggest using good quality vegetable broth and tomatoes (fresh or canned), which provides a full flavor without the need for long cooking.

Ingredients Used

Ingredients (12)

Servings:
4
  • Tomato 6.7 pcs (~800 g)
  • Vegetable broth 1200 ml
  • White rice 120 g
  • Onion 1 pcs (~150 g)
  • Carrot 1.3 pcs (~100 g)
  • Rapeseed oil 15 g
  • Sugar 5 g
  • 🌿 Spices
  • Salt 0.1 pinch (~3 g)
  • Black pepper 4 pinch (~2 g)
  • Bay leaf 6.7 pcs (~2 g)
  • ✨ Optional
  • Sour cream 100 g
  • Parsley 0.3 bunch (~10 g)
💰 Estimated dish cost: ~15.80 PLN (3.95 PLN/serving)

💡 Click an ingredient to mark it as used

Preparation steps

Preparing the vegetables

1

Prepare the ingredients: peel the onion and chop it into small cubes (about 1 cm). Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater or chop it into small cubes. If you are using fresh tomatoes: blanch them in boiling water for 30–60 seconds, remove the skin, and cut them into pieces. If you are using canned tomatoes, drain the excess juice and mash the tomatoes with a fork or knife.

Ingredients: Onion, Carrot
Use a cutting board and a sharp knife. When grating the carrot, hold the grater steady and make movements from top to bottom, controlling the pressure. Avoid large pieces of carrot, as they will be tough in the soup.

Frying

2

In a large pot (with a capacity of at least 2.5–3 l), heat the rapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until the onion becomes translucent and soft (it should be semi-transparent and have a light golden color). Add the grated carrot and sauté for another 3 minutes, stirring to allow the carrot to soften slightly and release its sweetness.

Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, Onion, Carrot
The best is a pot with a thicker bottom that distributes heat evenly. Use a wooden spoon or spatula. Do not increase the heat so the onion doesn't burn — burning gives a bitter taste.

Cooking the soup

3

Add the tomatoes to the sautéed vegetables and mix. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the bay leaf. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low to let it simmer gently without vigorous boiling.

Ingredients: Vegetable broth, Bay leaf
Use a lid to bring the soup to a boil faster, but once it starts boiling, cook without a tight lid to evaporate excess liquid and concentrate the flavor. Check if the bay leaves are damaged — if so, discard them before serving.
4

When the soup starts to boil, add the white rice and mix well. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the rice is tender (the grain should be soft in the center but not mushy; if using parboiled rice, check after 10 minutes).

Ingredients: White rice
The rice swells in the liquid; monitor the liquid level — if the soup becomes too thick, add 50–100 ml of hot broth or water. Use a slotted spoon to check one grain of rice — it should be soft without a hard center.

Seasoning

5

Remove the bay leaves. Season the soup with salt, black pepper, and sugar. Taste the soup and add more salt or a bit of sugar if needed to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow the spices to combine.

Ingredients: Salt, Black pepper, Sugar, Bay leaf
Season gradually: it's better to add less at the beginning and salt at the end. Add sugar little by little — too much will make the soup artificially sweet.

Finishing and serving

6

If you want, enrich the soup with cream: take about 50 ml of hot soup into a bowl, mix it with the cream (tempering), and then pour the mixture back into the pot, stirring. Heat for 1 minute, but do not boil vigorously after adding the cream to prevent it from curdling. Finally, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Ingredients: Sour cream, Parsley
For tempering, use a small bowl and a spoon. If you don't want to use cream, you can add natural yogurt just before serving (at room temperature). Additionally, you can add butter (about 10–20 g) for a creamier taste.

Serving

7

Serve the soup hot in deep plates. You can add an extra spoonful of cream in the center of the plate and sprinkle with fresh parsley. A slice of whole grain bread or a roll pairs perfectly as a side.

Ingredients: Parsley, Sour cream
Use deep, wide plates so the soup spreads nicely and is easy to eat. If the soup was too thick after cooling, reheat it and add some broth.

Fun Fact

💡

In Poland, tomato soup is one of the most popular home-cooked dishes — its versions can be found in every region. Traditionally, it was made with meat or vegetable broth and fresh tomatoes in the summer; out of season, canned tomatoes or tomato paste are often used.

Best for

family dinner deszczowy jesienny wieczór lekka kolacja

Tips

🍽️ Serving

Serve the soup very hot. To add variety, you can serve it on a plate with a spoonful of sour cream, garlic croutons, or topped with grated yellow cheese. Sourdough bread or a simple butter roll pairs well with the soup.

🥡 Storage

Store the soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. After cooling, the rice may absorb more liquid — before reheating, add 50–150 ml of broth or water. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the soup from sticking. Do not freeze soup that contains cream (the cream may curdle after thawing).

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