Vegan Tomato Rice Soup for Kids (Familiar Foods Win)

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I stole my mom’s recipe and reinvented it into this Vegan Tomato Rice Soup — but that’s not the worst thing I did, at least according to my son, because I also asked him to try it.

I didn’t force him though. I simply explained that he already likes everything in it:

• Rice
• Tomatoes
• Broth
• Garlic

And then I pointed out the things he thinks he doesn’t like:

• Celery
• Onions

The same ones that show up in foods he already eats — just not in ways he notices.

I explained that I always add celery and onions to his favorite soup; I just dice them small. The onion I use there isn’t exactly the same as the yellow one in this tomato rice soup — it’s a leek, from the onion family, but still an onion.

And then there’s broth, which already has onion in it, and onion powder, which we use in so many of the things we cook. But the story of familiarity didn’t end there — and it shouldn’t for you either.

Wait … What’s in Vegan Broth?

It’s one of those things we use all the time without really thinking about it. But when you slow down and actually look at the ingredients, you start to notice something familiar:

Carrots — we eat these almost daily in my house; for a lot of kids, they’re already a favorite

Celery — another vegetable most kids are at least familiar with, even if it’s just in the form of celery salt

Onion — an ingredient that shows up everywhere, from marinara sauce to Mexican food, or simply as onion powder

Turmeric — maybe not as obvious, but it shows up in things like tofu scramble, soups, and Indian-inspired dishes

And suddenly, something that felt unfamiliar doesn’t feel so unfamiliar anymore. And not only that — these aren’t just “vegan” ingredients; they’re the base of most vegetable broths, even in non-vegan cooking, just without the chicken or beef.

Let’s Make It Ourselves

Now, while writing this post, I took a look at the back of my Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base — the little jar I keep in my fridge to quickly make broth for things like soup and pasta dishes.

And I didn’t love some of the ingredients I saw:

• Cane sugar
• Soybean oil
• Guar gum

And after looking at that, I found myself wondering why I hadn’t been making this at home like I used to — so here’s how to do it:

1. Save your vegetable scraps — carrot peels, celery ends, onion skins, garlic pieces — in a freezer-safe bag (reusable if possible)
2. Keep adding to the bag over time until it’s full
3. When you’re ready, dump everything into a large pot and cover with water
4. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and let it cook Strain the broth and use it for soups, rice, pasta, or anything you’re already making

It’s a simple way to turn what would have been thrown away into something familiar and useful.

From One Kitchen to the Next

The kind of thing that gets passed down from one generation to the next. Just like my mom’s tomato rice soup became something I crave from familiarity, this could easily become something my son craves too — from the time he spends in the kitchen making everything, from the broth to the soup.

And if you’re trying to help your kids connect with foods they think are unfamiliar, here are a few simple ways to start:

• Start with what they already know — point out familiar ingredients before introducing something new
• Break foods down — instead of presenting a full dish, talk through what’s actually in it
• Connect it to something they already eat — “this is like…” goes a long way
• Let them see it before they taste it — observation builds comfort
• Involve them in the process — even small jobs create ownership
• Keep the pressure low — familiarity builds over time, not in one moment

Because most of the time, the foods kids think are unfamiliar aren’t really new at all — they just haven’t seen them this way yet, which is exactly what the Messy Plate Method is built on.

Messy Little Readers Library

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

The Story & Recipe Pairing

The Day the Crayons Quit tells the story of crayons who are tired of being used the same way — each one offering a different perspective on something that once felt simple. The same can happen with food.

This Vegan Tomato Rice Soup recipe is a simple way to look more closely at what’s actually in a dish — breaking it down into familiar ingredients and seeing it in a new way. Just like Duncan learns to see his crayons differently, sometimes all it takes is slowing down and noticing what’s already there.

Best For:

All ages are welcome, but it’s typically best suited for ages 4–9, especially children who enjoy humor and learning to see things from a different perspective.

Read Along Focus:

• Encourage kids to notice how each crayon has its own experience
• Talk about how looking closer can change how we understand something
• Connect the idea that things aren’t always what they seem at first

Things to Point Out While Reading:

• Everyone sees things differently
• Sometimes we think we understand something — but we don’t fully
• Looking closer can change how we feel
• There’s more to familiar things than we realize

Simple Lessons (No Lecturing):

• Things that seem new might not actually be new
• Perspective changes everything
• Understanding comes from paying attention
• Familiarity can grow when we look a little closer

Kitchen Tie-In:

While making the soup:

• Look at the broth ingredients — what do you recognize?
• Point out the carrots, celery, and onion — where have we seen these before?
• Smell the broth as it cooks — does it remind you of something familiar?
• Talk through the ingredients — is this really “new,” or just new in this form?

Let your child observe, question, and connect the dots. The goal isn’t to get them to eat it — it’s to help them see it differently.

The Moment You’re Creating

Carrots, celery, and onion show up in different forms — chopped, softened, simmered into something that looks new at first. But it’s all built from ingredients they already know.

And over time, those differences start to feel okay. What once felt unfamiliar becomes familiar — and slowly, something they come to recognize, expect, and maybe even crave, just like my mom’s soup became for me — this soup becoming, for them, a nostalgic taste of childhood.

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