This savory rhubarb soup with tomatoes and bacon omelet is tangy, comforting, and unusual. An easy spring rhubarb soup recipe with vegetarian options.
This rhubarb soup is one of the most unusual savory rhubarb recipes on the site. The tart rhubarb pairs perfectly with tomatoes, paprika, cream, and the rich bacon omelet served on top.
Savory rhubarb dishes are common in parts of Eastern and Central Europe, including Romania, where rhubarb is often cooked in soups, stews, and curries instead of desserts only.
If you enjoy cooking rhubarb in savory dishes, try this Rhubarb Chicken, Chicken Curry with Rhubarb, or Rhubarb Fish Curry.
For more sweet and savory ideas, see these Rhubarb Recipes.
Ingredients: 11 + oil, salt & pepper | Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy
Featured comment:
Connie: Oh, YES, this is a winner! Stop what you are doing, right now, and get at this. A very crude description would be bacon and eggs served with a luxuriously fancy ketchup. A surprising riot of good! Where IS my spoon?
I will be eager to explore your site!
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Recipe ingredients
Rhubarb: Fresh rhubarb gives the soup its tangy flavor.
- Frozen rhubarb works as well. Thaw it before cooking and drain any excess liquid.
Sieved tomatoes: Passata is a good substitute.
The chicken stock: Alternatively (for a vegetarian version of the soup), you can use vegetable stock.
Lovage gives the soup a traditional flavor often found in Central and Eastern European cooking. If unavailable, use thyme or basil instead.
- If you have lots of lovage in your garden, make this amazing Lovage Pesto or a Lovage Soup.
Bacon and eggs for the topping.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make rhubarb soup?
Tomato and rhubarb soup:
- Step #1: Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the chopped rhubarb and onions until softer, 3-4 minutes.
- Step #2: Add paprika powder and stir for another minute.
- Step #3: Add sugar, stock, tomatoes, and dried lovage if using.
- Step #4: Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rhubarb is completely soft.
- Step #5: Blend the soup with an immersion blender.
- Step #6: Add cream and adjust the flavor with salt, pepper, and sugar. The soup should taste sweet, tangy, and savory. Stir in fresh lovage and keep warm while preparing the eggs.
Bacon eggs:
- Step #7: Cook the diced bacon in a little oil until crisp.
- Step #8: Whisk eggs, milk, paprika, salt, and pepper together. Pour the eggs over the bacon and cook gently.
- Step #9: Push the cooked egg from the edges toward the center until the omelet is fully cooked.
- Step #10: Break the omelet into pieces and serve it on top of the soup.
Vegetarian version
Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
You can make the omelet without bacon or add:
- mushrooms
- green onions
- spinach
- zucchini
- fresh herbs
- grated cheese
- fresh dill or chives work especially well here.
Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock
Tips
I recommend using an immersion blender for blending soups or other hot liquids; it's safer.
If using a stand blender:
- let the soup cool slightly first
- blend in batches
- start at low speed
- hold the lid firmly with a kitchen towel
Hot liquids expand quickly and may splatter.
Make ahead, storage, and freezing
You can prepare the soup ahead of time and reheat it gently before serving. The eggs are best cooked fresh shortly before serving.
Refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Store leftover eggs separately for 2-3 days. Reheat them gently in the hot soup before serving.
Freeze the soup without the eggs for up to 3 months.
What to serve with it?
I always serve this rhubarb soup with crusty bread or a Garlic Bread Baguette, savory scones, dinner rolls, or biscuits. Try our Spelt Bread, Cheese Buns, or the Yeast Dinner Rolls.
Do you like this recipe?
Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Don't forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!Recipe
Savory Rhubarb Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot or Dutch oven
- Frying pan
Ingredients
Rhubarb and tomato soup:
- 2-3 rhubarb stalks depending on size, about 9 oz/250 g
- 2 medium onions
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar + more to taste
- 4 cups chicken stock 1 liter Note 1 - Vegetarian version
- 2 cups pureed tomatoes or passata, Note 2
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 large sprig of lovage Note 3
Bacon eggs:
- 4.5 oz smoked bacon
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Rhubarb Soup:
- Prepare vegetables: Clean and chop the rhubarb stalks into small pieces. Chop the onions finely. 2-3 rhubarb stalks + 2 medium onions
- Sauté: Heat the oil and cook the rhubarb and the onions until they are softer, 3-4 minutes. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Sprinkle the paprika powder on top and stir for another minute. 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- Add sugar, stock, and tomatoes. If you are using dried lovage, add it to the soup now - 1 teaspoon. Fresh lovage should be added at the end. 1 teaspoon sugar + 4 cups chicken stock + 2 cups pureed tomatoes
- Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rhubarb is completely soft. Blend the soup with an immersion blender (Note 4).
- Add cream and adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and more sugar to taste. The rhubarb soup should taste sweet and sour. ¾ cup heavy cream + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper + more sugar if desired
- Stir in the chopped lovage, cover the pot, and let it stand while you prepare the eggs.1 large sprig of lovage
Bacon omelet:
- Cook the bacon: Chop it and cook the cubes in oil in a non-stick pan. 4.5 oz smoked bacon + 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Beat the eggs and milk in a small bowl; add the sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. 6 large eggs + 4 tablespoons milk + ½ teaspoon sweet paprika powder + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook eggs: Pour the eggs over the bacon in the pan and let them get slightly set. Start pushing the cooked portions from the edges of the pan towards the center so that the uncooked eggs can also touch the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan and push the eggs around until they are all cooked.
- Break the omelet into rough pieces and serve them on top of the soup.
Notes
- Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
- Cook the eggs without bacon.
- Or replace the bacon with finely chopped spring onions, fresh herbs (dill or chives are great), sauteed mushrooms (or other vegetables), or grated cheese (See blog post for more details).
Paul:-) says
Adina,
What a fabulous recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
I come from the tiny part of Yorkshire in England that is known as the “Rhubarb Triangle”. Here we produce a legally recognised form of Rhubarb known as “Yorkshire forced Rhubarb”.
It is grown in the dark in heated sheds and harvested by candlelight-yes, even in the 21st century.
The result is “golden Rhubarb”, sweeter than field Rhubarb as it is not exposed to sunlight and due to the heated sheds is available at this time of year or at least very soon.
My home city of Wakefield has an annual Rhubarb Festival, just google Experience Wakefield/rhubarb festival.
I grew up with both Grandparents growing Rhubarb in their respective gardens and we enjoyed it (our dentists certainly relished our consumption of such a combination) cut into chunks which were dipped in a vast bowl of white sugar!
Thankyou for being a fellow fan of the vegetable.
Long live Rhubarb!
Paul:-)
Adina says
I absolutely adore rhubarb. We don't have a bush in our garden, but mostly because our neighbour has two huge ones which I am allowed to "plunder" every spring. A rhubarb festival sounds amazing; I wish I could experience that.
Michael says
Our supper club has a challenge for savory rhubarb recipes. I tried this today with vegetable stock and it is deliciously tangy and tasty. Needs very little seasoning. I will add some croutons for the reheat. Delicious and just the right amount of cream.
Lisa D. says
I'd love to know some of the other savory rhubarb recipes that you enjoyed.
Adina says
Hi Lisa. I love them all, but our family favorite is Rhubarb Chicken, I make it every single spring at least once.
Danger says
I need to make a vegan version of this. I've been looking through your Romanian recipes (I'm working on a story with a Romanian character), and it's making me wish I could go to the store. XD Mulțumesc for posting these!
Adina says
Cu placere! 🙂
Connie says
Oh, YES, this is a winner! Stop what you are doing, right now, and get at this. A very crude description would be bacon and eggs served with a luxuriously fancy ketchup. A surprising riot of good! Where IS my spoon?
I will be eager to explore your site!
Adina says
Thank you for the enthusiastic comment, Connie, I was very happy to read it! We love this soup too and now it's the time of the year to make it again.
Emily says
I make a homemade tomato soup from tomatoes in my garden. Instead of using the tomato puree, do you think I could lessen some of the other liquids and use my usual tomato soup recipe, and add in rhubarb? I've been looking for savory rhubarb recipes and hoping this might work out!!
Adina says
Hi Emily. I think anything is possible when cooking. Making the tomato soup from your own tomatoes sounds delicious, I suppose you can use it as a base for the rhubarb soup. Let me know how it worked out.
Lisa says
Thank you for the rhubarb soup inspiration! Had an abundance of misc. veggies to use up, including a lot of rhubarb. With only 2 TBSP of tomato paste in the house, I also used the beet powder in my smoothie cupboard to make a lovely borscht like broth. Left my vegg chunky & served with Greek yogurt. Love, love, love rhubarb in soup!!!
Adina says
So happy to hear it, Lisa. I have never had beet powder, but I am sure it tasted good. And looked very pretty for sure! 🙂 Thank you for the feedback!
Sissi says
It's probably the most original way to use rhubarb I've ever seen! I love rhubarb and all the tangy/acid food, so I'm sure I'd love your soup too.
Marvellina|What To Cook Today says
I have never tried rhubarb in savory dishes yet, but this looks and sounds so good!
Kelly Mahan says
That looks awesome. Saving it here as "recipe to try this week", thanks!
Adina says
Thanks Kelly, I hope you like it, it is really something special. 🙂
Thao @ In Good Flavor says
Come to think of it, I have never had rhubarb in a savory dish. I've always have had it a a dessert. This soup definitely sounds interesting and I know that I would love it. And the bacon omelet sounds delicious! I'd make extra of it as a side 🙂
mjskitchen says
All of your rhubarb dishes are killing me! I love rhubarb, but putting it in a tomato soup would NEVER have crossed my mind! It sounds and looks delicious and I love seeing lovage leaves in the recipe. I started growing it last year and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite herbs.