Mexican Rice Soup Recipe

Are you looking to improve your soup game? Look no further. Recipe developer and health coach, Miriam Hahn, brings us this recipe for Mexican rice soup. Hahn notes that she loves "to make this for a quick and easy dinner," or as a meal prep option at the beginning of the week, as leftovers last for up to a week when they're stored in a sealed container in the fridge.

We've found that some soups are too light to be served as a main dish, but Hahn notes that this particular soup is "very satisfying and filling." In fact, "It is a pretty thick soup so you can even wrap it up in a tortilla," Hahn says. "For those [who] want a thinner soup, you can add one more cup of water or broth."

This soup also calls for a few optional toppings including avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and diced red onion. Hahn recommends serving it family style and notes that "everyone can add [the] toppings they like."

To make this Mexican rice soup, we will start by gathering our ingredients. For this recipe, we will need oil, onion, garlic, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, fire roasted tomatoes, broth, water, hominy, uncooked brown rice, chili powder, cumin, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, lime, avocado, cilantro, and red onion. 

You may have some trouble finding hominy, but Hahn recommends looking for it in the canned vegetable section of your grocery store. She notes that she likes to use it in this recipe as "it adds some thickness and creaminess to the soup."

So, let's get started. Add the oil to a large stock pot over high heat. Then, stir in the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium and allow the aromatics to cook for about 8 minutes. Your kitchen will begin to smell amazing.

Next up, we will add in the beans, tomatoes, broth, water, hominy, rice, and all of the spices. Give this mixture a good stir. Then, bring this mixture to a boil. Once it's at a boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Cover the soup with a lid and continue to cook for 30 minutes to allow the rice to cook and absorb the flavors of the soup. Hahn advises that "it is best to turn off the heat when the rice is done so it doesn't get overcooked and mushy."

Remove the stock pot from the heat and squeeze in the lime juice. Stir well. Then, serve up individual portions garnished with optional toppings of avocado slices, chopped cilantro, and diced red onion, if desired.