Ingredients
Method
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the diced onions and bell peppers. Saute for 3-4 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add the ground beef and cook until fully browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain off any excess fat.
- Stir in the bouillon powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pour in the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes (drained), and chicken broth. Mix well to combine all the flavors.
- Bring the soup to a light simmer. Stir in the instant rice, then cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for a few minutes to allow the rice to finish absorbing the liquid and fluff up.
- Serve hot with optional toppings like shredded cheese or fresh herbs.
Notes
Keep the soup at a gentle simmer when the instant rice goes in. A hard boil turns the grains mushy before the few minutes are up.
Don't skip the rest off the heat. That's when the rice finishes absorbing liquid and the broth comes to the right consistency.
Leftovers thicken in the fridge because the rice keeps absorbing broth. Stir in a splash of broth or water when reheating. To keep leftovers soupy, cook the rice separately and add it to each bowl at serving.
Regular long-grain rice is not a one-for-one swap. It needs 15-20 minutes of simmering and absorbs more liquid, so add it with the broth and keep extra on hand.
Taste before adding salt; the bouillon, marinara, and broth all bring salt of their own.
Freeze the soup base without the rice for up to 3 months. Frozen and thawed rice turns soft.