So sorry for the delay in posting.  It’s Jen guest blogging for Thomas.  I was on vacation with my family for a long weekend and I decided to surprise The Cooking Husband by having dinner ready for him when he got home from work as a surprise.  In trying to think of something fun and inventive to make for dinner, I decided on one of my favorite soups.  This is a really hearty soup that is good for summer or winter.  I think you will really like it, so be sure to try it. 

Let’s Cook!

Tomato and Rice Soup

2 cups celery, diced

2 cups water

3/4 cup of brown rice

2 teaspoon chili powder

1 4 ounce can diced green chilis

2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, blended smooth in the blender (or you can combine as is for a chunkier soup)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 white onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced (you can leave the jalapeno out if you are not a fan of spicy)

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup shredded Monteray Jack Cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (I bought the 2 cup bag of Monteray Jack and Cheddar mixture which works just as well)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Add celery, white onion, jalapeno, chili powder, rice and water to a large pot or Dutch Oven.

Stir well to combine.

Allow the mixture to come to a boil.  Then cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Now, add tomatoes, garlic powder and green chilis to the mixture.

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to mix.

Turn the heat to low and add cheese, sour cream and green onions to the mixture.

Make sure the burner is still on low as it is VERY IMPORTANT to keep the mixture warm but do not let it boil.  Heat for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, to help melt the cheese and combine the sour cream.  It is ok if there are still some cheese shreds visible. 

Time to plate.  Here’s how I served the soup.  I’m not as good with the garnishes as The Cooking Husband is, but this soup is so tasty it doesn’t need much to make it look good.

And, here’s the close up view:

Now you have a new way to make Tomato soup!  I served the soup with some crusty French bread and it was the perfect compliment.  The recipe does take a while to cook (about 60 minutes total cook time) but the ingredients are simple yet delicious.  Thomas’ favorite part of this meal is the soup ALWAYS tastes better the next day, so he will have a treat when he takes this to work for lunch tomorrow.  Thanks for checking out my post–it is nice to give The Cooking Husband a break every once in a while! 

Happy Cooking!