Zupa Pomidorowa (Polish Tomato Soup with Rice)
Local name: Zupa pomidorowa
In short: Smooth tomato soup built on chicken broth, finished with a spoonful of sour cream and served over soft rice, the Polish school lunch favorite. It takes about 50 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 230 kcal
Tomato soup with rice is a school-lunch memory for generations of Poles. Zupa pomidorowa is a gentle, slightly sweet soup made from chicken broth, tomato passata and a little paste, finished with a spoonful of sour cream. The rice is cooked separately and spooned into the bowl. Many families make it with leftover rosół broth, which also makes it a quick weeknight dinner.
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a simmer in a large pot. Add the carrots and parsnip and cook for 10 minutes, until nearly tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice in a separate pot of salted water for 12 to 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and keep it warm. Cooking the rice apart keeps the soup clear instead of starchy.
- Stir the passata, tomato paste, bay leaf and allspice into the broth. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the soup tastes rounded rather than raw.
- Remove the bay leaf and allspice. Season with the salt, pepper and sugar, then taste. The tomatoes should taste bright, with only a slight sweetness.
- Whisk the sour cream in a bowl with 4 tbsp of the hot soup. Take the pot off the heat and stir the mixture back in. Do not boil the soup after this, or the cream may split.
- Spoon the rice into warm bowls, ladle the soup over and finish with parsley or dill.
Tips
- A good broth makes this soup. Use homemade or a low-salt stock, and taste before adding salt because passata and paste bring their own.
- If the soup tastes too sharp, add another pinch of sugar rather than more cream. Tempering the cream with a little hot soup first keeps it from curdling.
Questions and answers
Is it served with rice or noodles?
Both are traditional. Rice is the classic for school lunches, and thin noodles are just as common at home. Either one is cooked separately and added to the bowl.
Can I make it vegetarian?
Yes. Use a vegetable broth, preferably one made with celery root, parsley root and a few dried mushrooms for depth, and the soup stays savory and rich.
Why did my cream curdle?
Cold cream added to boiling soup splits. Whisk it with a ladle of hot soup first, then stir it in off the heat, and do not let the soup boil afterwards.
How long does it take to make Zupa Pomidorowa (Polish Tomato Soup with Rice)?
About 50 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Zupa Pomidorowa (Polish Tomato Soup with Rice)?
About 230 kcal per serving, with 7 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 230 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 850 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
