When I was a kid, creamy tomato and rice soup was one of my go-to comfort foods.
My mom would make it for me, and she would make it from a box. The soup was cloyingly creamy-sweet and the rice was overcooked and mushy. I didn’t much care. It was happiness in a bowl. I’ve been pretty much chasing that flavor memory ever since. And I’ll just say, whenever I’ve come close, it hasn’t involved a box.
But I’m not opposed to cracking a few cans. Of tomatoes.
This creamy tomato and rice soup is my work-in-progress attempt to replicate the comfort food of my childhood, but with better results and much better ingredients. For depth of flavor (but still tons of ease), I start with canned whole tomatoes. They get a brief stint under the broiler to caramelize the sugars and deepen the flavors.
For even more flavor, the rice is cooked in a blend of chicken broth and the tomato juices strained from the cans.
But it’s the creaminess the puts it over the edge. Instead of cream, I use cashew butter. It’s just as rich and creamy, but less sweet. Nuts and tomatoes work wonderfully together, and this soup is a fine example. The cashew butter (sold alongside peanut butter), keeps the overall flavor of the soup savory without sacrificing the creaminess we find so comforting.
SPEEDY ROASTED TOMATO AND RICE SOUP
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Makes 6 servings
Servings: 6
Two 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
2/3 cup smooth cashew butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
Salt and ground black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste
Nutrition information per serving: 280 calories; 130 calories from fat (46 percent of total calories); 15 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 9 g protein; 660 mg sodium.
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