Polish Tomato Soup with Rice or Noodles

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Built on Sunday rosół for deep, homey flavor in every spoonful.
• Silky-smooth texture with just enough cream for a light, elegant finish.
• Flexible serving: ladle over rice for comfort or fine egg noodles for a classic Polish touch.
• Ready in under an hour and perfect for using leftovers.

Grocery List

• Produce: Onion, carrot, parsnip, lemon, fresh dill or parsley
• Dairy: 18% sour cream (or half-and-half), unsalted butter
• Pantry: Tomato passata, tomato paste, neutral oil, long-grain white rice or fine egg noodles, kosher salt, black pepper, sugar

Full Ingredients

For the Soup

• 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) neutral oil (sunflower, canola, or light olive oil)
• 1 small onion (about 120 g), finely chopped
• 1 small carrot (about 70 g), grated
• 1 small parsnip (about 80 g), grated (or use an extra carrot)
• 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
• 2 cups (480 ml) tomato passata (or smooth blended canned tomatoes)
• 6 cups (1.4 L) well-seasoned rosół (Polish chicken broth) or low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar (optional, balances acidity)
• 1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice or 1 tsp red wine vinegar, to taste
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) 18% sour cream, warmed (or half-and-half)

For Serving (choose one)

• Rice: 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice + 1 3/4 cups (415 ml) water + 1/2 tsp salt
• OR Fine egg noodles: 5 oz (150 g) thin noodles (nitki) + well-salted boiling water

To Finish

• 2–3 tbsp chopped fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook your base (rice or noodles)

For rice: Rinse 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice under cold water until it runs mostly clear. Combine with 1 3/4 cups (415 ml) water and 1/2 tsp salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and cook 12 minutes. Remove from heat and rest, covered, 5 minutes; fluff with a fork. For noodles: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add 5 oz (150 g) fine egg noodles and cook until just tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

Step 2: Sweat the aromatics

In a 4–5 quart (3.8–4.7 L) pot, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, grated carrot, and grated parsnip with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until very soft and sweet but not browned, about 8 minutes. If they start to color, lower the heat.

Step 3: Toast the tomato paste

Add 2 tbsp tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens slightly to a brick red and smells caramelized, 60–90 seconds. This step deepens tomato flavor and adds body.

Step 4: Build the soup and simmer

Stir in 2 cups passata to loosen the paste. Gradually whisk in 6 cups rosół (or stock). Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered at 190–200°F (88–93°C) for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This melds flavors and softens any remaining vegetable texture.

Step 5: Blend until silky

Remove the pot from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot until completely smooth and velvety, 1–2 minutes. If using a countertop blender, work in batches, venting the lid and covering with a towel. Return blended soup to the pot and rewarm gently.

Step 6: Balance and enrich

Season with 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sugar (if needed), and 1–2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tsp red wine vinegar to brighten. Taste and add salt as needed. Warm the sour cream separately. Ladle a cup of hot soup into the sour cream and whisk to temper, then stir this mixture back into the pot off heat. Do not boil after adding dairy; keep below a bare simmer to prevent curdling.

Step 7: Serve and garnish

Place a scoop of hot rice (about 1/2 cup per bowl) or a nest of noodles in warm bowls. Ladle the silky tomato soup over the starch. Finish with chopped dill or parsley and a few grinds of pepper. Serve immediately.

Pro Tips

• Passata yields the smoothest result; if using canned tomatoes, blend until completely silky before adding to the pot.
• Toast the tomato paste until fragrant—that brief caramelization adds depth and natural sweetness.
• Always temper sour cream with hot soup and keep the pot below a boil to avoid splitting.
• Keep rice/noodles separate from the soup until serving to prevent sogginess.
• If your rosół is very rich or salty, use low-sodium passata and hold back on added salt until the end.

Variations

• Classic dairy-free: Skip the sour cream and finish with a 1 tsp knob of butter or a drizzle of good olive oil.
• Vegetarian: Use a robust vegetable stock and add a splash of soy sauce (1–2 tsp) for umami.
• Roasted tomato: In summer, roast 2 lb (900 g) ripe tomatoes and a halved onion at 425°F (220°C) for 25–30 minutes, then blend and use in place of passata.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Soup (without dairy added) keeps 4 days refrigerated or up to 3 months frozen; cool quickly and store airtight. Add the sour cream after reheating for best texture. Reheat gently until steaming (about 160–170°F / 71–77°C), do not boil. Store rice or noodles separately: rice up to 3 days (cool and refrigerate promptly), noodles up to 2 days. Refresh starch with a splash of hot soup when serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate per serving with 1/2 cup cooked rice and sour cream: 245 kcal; 8 g protein; 29 g carbohydrates; 12 g fat; 3 g fiber; 780 mg sodium. Values will vary based on broth and dairy used.