When I was a kid, I love-love-loved Campbell’s Tomato and Rice Soup, the kind from the can that you just added water to and stirred around on the stove top for a while. Holy Happy Meal, Batman, with a couple of saltines on, that was the best stuff ever to slurp on a fall day, and best of all, I could do it myself from a young age. Don’t ask me how young, because I don’t remember! But it was a handy thing to make, and it got you tons of labels for your school back in the day. Ah yes, the Campbell Soup Label Drives….
So last week, with a big jug of V-8 approaching its sell-by date, some leftover white rice in the fridge, and nothing else planned to eat, I remembered that soup and thought, couldn’t I just bang that together without much of the crap that is no doubt stabilizing the gunky old jelly in the can?
This iconic Andy Warhol rendition of a Campbell’s Tomato Soup can illustrates just how iconic Campbell’s Soup is.
And yes. Yes, I could.
This is part of the back-to-school freezer-filler series, because I made so much there was plenty left for my school supplies! (emphasis on my, because, disappointingly, my son didn’t share my enthusiasm for this delicious stuff!)
Little bit of cheddar on top….Childhood back. Only better.
Mostly Home-Made Tomato and Rice Soup
46 or 64 oz bottle of low-sodium vegetable juice (V-8 is what I use for tomato-based soups like minestrone, as it has so much veggie flavor.)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 stock cube (vegetable or chicken, 2 cubes if using 64 oz)
1 bay leaf
1-2 Cups cooked white rice (depending on your preference)
Pinch or two of sugar
Place vegetable juice, celery, and stock cube in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add rice and sugar to taste (you want to cut the acidity if necessary). When rice is heated through, remove the bay leaf and serve, especially with grilled cheese sandwiches!
Hot, Cheap & Easy 
I love tomatoes, raw and in almost everything, but I’ve always hated tomato soup, ketchup and tomato juice. Your recipe, however, with other flavours in it, sounds delicious 😉
Thanks for that vote of confidence!