Old Fashioned Beef Rice Soup Recipe

Warm up this winter with a hearty bowl of beef rice soup. It’s simple to make and loaded with flavor. You’ll love the combination of beef, rice, and vegetables in every bite. This soup is perfect for a cold day. As a bonus, Old Fashioned Beef Rice soup is made for less than $8. So grab a spoon and dig in!

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Easy Beef Rice Soup

This soup is fantastic and so easy to make. The beef rice soup recipe that I use is ready in no time and is perfect when you need to eat healthy on a budget. You can make it as thick or as thin as you like, depending on how much broth you use. This soup is also a great way to use up leftover rice.

Hamburger Rice Soup that Tastes Better the Next Day

The best thing about making this hamburger rice soup is that it tastes even better the next day. The flavors come together, the soup gets thicker and even heartier. As it sits in the refrigerator and melds together, your leftovers are even better than fresh.

Is this cowboy soup?

The easy answer is kind of. Cowboy soup has a few different interpretations. The one common denominator is that it’s a hearty, filling soup meant to stick to your ribs. This beef rice soup definitely fits that bill. It’s the perfect meal for a cold winter day or any day you need a little extra warmth and comfort. Cowboy soup tends to have beans in it and I am not adding beans to this cowboy soup. You can add any type of beans that you like to this soup to take it from a beef and rice soup to a cowboy soup.

Can I Use Frozen Veggies

You can use frozen vegetables in place of fresh vegetables in old-fashioned beef rice soup. I prefer the taste of fresh but frozen can easily be swapped instead. Frozen vegetables are nice because you don’t have to spend the time chopping and sometimes they can come out cheaper depending on if you get the vegetables on sale.

You can also use canned vegetables. Make sure to drain the liquid first.

If you want to use something other than fresh vegetables, you want to add them towards the end. It doesn’t take as long to cook frozen or canned vegetables and you do not want them to get soggy while you are cooking.

What Other Vegetables Can I Use

This vegetable beef soup can be made with any type of vegetable you like. I love adding green beans and dice tomatoes. Whenever I am grabbing something different in vegetable soup, that is what I add. You can add different types of squash, sweet potatoes, or anything else you might like to the veggie soup. The sky is the limit when it comes to adding vegetables to this soup.

Do I have to add rice?

No, you do not have to add rice. You can leave it out or swap it for another type of grain. I have made this with quinoa before and it was delicious. You could also try adding barley, farro, or even some pasta. You can also leave it out completely, but then I would add more vegetables to make the soup more filling without costing a lot more to make.

Do I have to use beef?

No, you do not have to use beef. You can make this with chicken, pork, lamb, or even turkey. If you are using a different type of meat, you will want to adjust the cooking time. I have even had this soup made using ground venison. Whatever type of ground meat you have on hand makes a great soup.

What Kind of Rice Should I Use?

I prefer to use long grain white rice in this recipe, but you can use brown rice, basmati, or even jasmine. If you are using a different type of rice, you will want to adjust the cooking time. I would start with the same amount of broth and add more as needed. Brown rice will take longer to cook than white rice.

Can I Use Cooked Rice?

If you have cooked rice on hand, you can absolutely use it in this soup. You will want to add it towards the end so that it doesn’t get mushy from cooking too long. This is a great way to use up leftover rice. You can also use leftover quinoa, barley, or other grains.

Can I Use Brown Rice?

Yes, you can use brown rice. You will want to cook it a little longer since it takes longer to cook than white rice. Be sure to check the rice to make sure it is done before serving.

Adding the brown rice might be best if it is added after it has already been cooked. This ensures that the rice is done to perfection and the veggies do not get over cooked in the soup.

What If I Don’t Have Beef Broth

There are a lot of times that I simply do not have beef broth on hand but I want to make this beef rice soup recipe. If you do not have beef broth, you can use chicken broth or even water. The beef broth does give it a richer flavor, but if you are in a pinch, you can use whatever you have on hand. If using plain water, do not cook the hamburger all the way through. Cook most of it but leave it a little underdone. It will cook in the soup and give it more flavor but you need to cook it most of the way or it will be too greasy. You can also add a beef bouillon cube to water to make broth if you have it on hand.

You can also use homemade vegetable broth. It is easy to make your own.

Can I Make Beef Broth Rice Soup In A Crockpot

This beef rice soup can be made in a crockpot. I would not cook the rice in the crockpot because it has a tendency to get mushy. You can cook the rice on the stove and then add it when you are ready to serve.

In order to make this in the slow cooker, you would brown the beef and add it to the slow cooker. Then add the vegetables and broth with the seasonings. Let it simmer all day on low and then add the cooked rice towards the end.

Can I Make Beef with Rice Soup in the Instant Pot?

Yes, this can be made in an Instant Pot. I would brown the meat and cook the onions in the Instant Pot before adding the rest of the ingredients. You will want to cook it on high pressure for 3 minutes and then let it do a natural release for 10 minutes.

Instant Pot Beef Stew is another incredible soup that can be made in the IP.

Getting The Instant Pot Burn Message: What It Is & How to Avoid It

What to Serve with Old-Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup?

You really don’t need to add anything to this dinner. It has everything you need and comes in a very low price point. If you want to add anything, I would add some crusty bread to soak up how delicious the broth is.

How to Store Beef and Rice Soup

This beef rice soup can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure it is stored in an airtight container.

Can Beef Soup with Rice be Frozen?

This rice soup can be frozen. The soup will thicken as it sits and it will come out of the freezer much thicker than it went it. If you are worried about it becoming mushy, you can leave the rice out and add it when you are ready to serve it.

If freezing, I would recommend using freezer bags. Label the bag with the name and date. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it on the stove or in the microwave.

Freeze for up to 6 weeks.

How to Reheat Old-Fashioned Beef Rice Soup

This soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. If reheating on the stove, you might need to add a little bit of water to thin it out. If reheating in the microwave, heat it in 1-minute increments until heated through.

Variations and Substitutions

Frozen or Canned– You can use frozen or canned vegetables in this recipe. If using frozen, there is no need to thaw them out first. Just add them to the pot.

If using canned, I would recommend draining and rinsing them before adding them to the soup. This will help cut down on sodium content.

Vegetables– The vegetables can really be changed up to whatever you have on hand or what your family prefers. Some other great options are:

• Peas
• Corn
• Potatoes- diced
• Zucchini- diced
• Yellow Squash- diced
• Tomatoes- diced. I usually used canned unless it is gardening season and I have some from my garden.
• Spinach
• Kale
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower

Noodles- You can add noodles to this recipe if you prefer. Just cook the noodles separately and then add them to the soup when you are ready to serve. I would replace the rice with the noodles but you can do both.

Great options are:

• Egg noodles
• Rice noodles
• Ramen noodles- just the noodles, not the seasoning packet
• Macaroni noodles

Beef– Any ground meat can be used if you want something different than beef. In addition to using ground beef, you can also use stew meat or even steak in this recipe. If using stew meat, you will want to cook it longer so that it is tender.

If you have leftover pot roast, it will work amazing in this soup.

Broth– As I mentioned above, you can use any type of broth that you have on hand. If using water, I would not cook the beef all the way through. Leave it a little underdone so that it can finish cooking in the soup. homemade vegetable broth is another option.

Seasoning– I am not adding much for seasoning because the premade beef broth I am using is already seasoned. The carrots, celery, and onion add additional flavoring. If you wanted to add more flavor to the soup you can add and of these spices:

• Salt
• Pepper
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Italian seasoning
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Paprika
• Cayenne pepper- if you like it spicy
• Thyme
• Rosemary
• Parsley
• Oregano

How Many Weight Watchers Points in Beef Rice Soup

When you make this recipe as it is written, it comes in at 9 WW points on my personal plan.

With the new personal points plan from WW, your points might be different than mine. In that case, here is the direct link to the recipe in the WW recipe builder app. You can see how many points beef rice soup is for you. This only works for WW members in the US. If you are outside of the US, you will need to enter it manually.

I can make this recipe for fewer points by making it with ground turkey or chicken breast. This brings the recipe down to 5 points on my plan.

Have you joined our Weight Watchers Facebook Group? Free recipes and support. Perfect for everyone!

How Much Does it Cost to Make Beef Rice Soup?

We are all concerned about how much food is going up. If you are like me, you have noticed that the grocery budget doesn’t go as far as it used to. As of today, to make 4 servings of Beef Rice Soup costs $6.24 to make using Walmart prices. It comes out to $1.56 a serving. You can add a loaf of fresh Italian bread for another $1.47.

I hope you enjoy this old fashioned beef rice soup recipe. It is a delicious and hearty soup that is perfect for a winter day. This soup can be made on the stove, in the crock pot, or in the Instant Pot. It is a budget-friendly meal that can be easily adaptable to what you have on hand. This soup can also be frozen for later. Enjoy!

Love soup? Have you tried The Best Ever Chicken Fajita Soup?

Ingredients

Get the full list of ingredients, with measurements, and step-by-step instructions at the bottom of the post in the printable recipe card.

• Onion
• Celery
• Carrot
• Raw rice
• Beef broth
• Ground beef
• Salt and Black Pepper (optional)

How to Make Old Fashioned Beef Rice Soup

Chop vegetables into small bite size 1-inch pieces

Heat up broth in a pot and bring to boil.

In a skillet, sautee the onions, celery ribs, and carrot until transparent.

When the vegetables are transparent, add vegetables to the broth and cook until soft.

When vegetables are ready, add the uncooked rice to the broth and cook until soft.

If adding meat, brown the meat, then after draining, add it into the broth. Cook for several more minutes.

Serve

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More Ground Beef Recipes

• Stuffed Pepper Soup Recipe
• Weight Watchers Thai Basil Beef | Pad Gra Prow
• Angus Beef Meatballs with Lemon Butter Pasta
• Twice Baked Potato Shepherd’s Pie with Beef Recipe
• The Best Delicious Cheeseburger Muffin Cups

Need more ideas and help to stay on track with Weight Watchers?

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• Get this Printable Weight Watchers Weight Loss Journal or the Daily Food Log to add to your existing planner.
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• If you don’t want to pay for the app to be able to calculate your points, consider the Weight Watchers SmartPoints Calculator for Freestyle Program which is sold by Weight Watchers so you know the Points are right. The online calculators are not always accurate.
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This recipe was first written and posted by Joey. He was only 13 at the time and he was going to culinary school at tech. All these years later, he is still working hard in a kitchen, raising 2 babies and I couldn’t be more proud.