Coulis soupe de tomate et riz is a very well seasoned tomato rice soup.
I created this recipe about 7 years ago and gave it a French name because it's based on a tomato coulis. It was snowing outside and I wanted a hot but different soup for dinner, so I made this. It became a cold night soup to warm up. I love it.

When I was a kid (as an adult as well I guess), my mom always made for my sister and I, what she calls "soft rice". That's pretty much rice cooked with too much water and some salt so you end up with a kind of soup. She used to cook rice normally for lunch, add more water, and remove the excess water along with some rice when it was cooked, to eat like a soup and let the actual rice in the pot finish cooking in high heat for a couple of minutes to dry out the little bit water left so we could use it as normal rice. I miss my mother's food.


I love tomato everything (but juice) so I made a tomato coulis and mixed to my mom's "soft rice" and it became a soup.

Here I added chicken but you can add beef, pork, sausage or even fried veggies on top.

The recipe is quick and simple.
It's for 1 person with some left over if you're not that hungry.
I basically use 1 cup of rice for 1 person so you don't lack soup in the end if case you're hungry.

Ingredients

❈ Tomato coulis
- 2 medium juicy red tomatoes chopped tiny, about 1 cup (for each cup of rice, if you're making more). You can leave in the seeds and peel, no problem.
- 1/2 cup of thick tomato puree (I make mine and freeze it to be used as needed but you can use store bought)
- 2 tablespoons of dry or fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 cup of minced onions (white is better), shallots work too
- 1 clove of garlic

❈ Rice
- 1 cup white rice
- 3 1/2 cups of water
- No salt, the coulis will season it

❈ Meat (this works for chicken, beef, pork and sausage)
- 3/4 cup of minced onions (white is better), shallots and green work too
- 1 clove of garlic
- Salt, parsley and ground black pepper to taste
- About 2 cups of the small cubed meat of your choice
- Lemon squeeze (optional) - just a few drops.


Directions

First do your mise en place so you have everything ready to go as needed.

Start with the tomato coulis, then the meat, and finally the rice.

Marinade the meat with the salt, black pepper, parsley and lemon before you start the coulis.


The best soup is the one you make and eat right away, that's why I do the rice last.

❈ Tomato coulis
In a sauce pan put some olive oil (I use about 2 tablespoons) and toss in the onion and garlic, let it fry a bit until it's golden.
Add the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper, mix and cover it.
Let it cook until the tomato breaks down completely, then cook uncovered so the water reduces by half.
Once it breaks down so much that it becomes a puree, add the tomato paste and cook for about 2 minutes.
Set aside.


❈ Meat
In a frying pan put some olive oil (I use about 2 tablespoons) and toss in the onion and garlic, let it fry a bit until it's golden.
Add in the meat and cook it until it's well cooked. I eat well cooked.
Set aside.

❈ Rice
Wash your rice in a thin colander until the water comes out more transparent and not so white.
Add the water to the rice.
Bring it to a boil and the simmer (uncovered) until you taste and feel the grains are cooked.
You should still have lots of water in it.
With low heat still on, add the tomato coulis, mix slowly.
Done.

Your soup is ready. Just add the meat on top and enjoy.
For a crunch factor, eat it with garlic bread.