Last Updated on 03/08/2024 by Adina
Make this amazing, unusual rhubarb soup served alongside a savory bacon omelet. Vegetarian options are included in the recipe.
This rhubarb soup recipe combines the tart taste of rhubarb with the rich flavors of bacon and eggs, creating a perfect balance of sweet and savory in every spoonful.
Check out more savory rhubarb recipes: Chicken with Rhubarb Sauce, Chicken Curry with Rhubarb, or Rhubarb Fish Curry. You could also try another unusual and tangy Green Tomato Soup.
And if you have lots of rhubarb in your garden, make sure you read What to Do with Rhubarb?
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Recipe ingredients
Rhubarb: A vibrant and tart vegetable.
Sieved tomatoes: Passata is a good substitute.
The chicken stock: Alternatively (for a vegetarian version of the soup), you can use vegetable stock.
Lovage: You can substitute fresh lovage with dried lovage. If not available, use thyme or basil instead. The flavor of the tomato rhubarb soup will be slightly different, but you will still love it.
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:
- Clean and chop the rhubarb stalks into small pieces. Chop the onions finely.
- Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the vegetables until softer, 3-4 minutes (1).
- Sprinkle the paprika powder on top and stir for another minute (2).
- Add sugar, chicken stock, and pureed tomatoes. If you are using dried lovage, add it to the soup now. Fresh lovage should be added later (3).
- Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rhubarb is completely soft (4).
- Blend with an immersion blender (5).
- Add heavy cream and adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and more sugar. The rhubarb soup should taste sweet and sour (6).
- Stir in the chopped lovage and let the soup stand, covered, while you prepare the eggs.
Bacon eggs:
- Chop the bacon into fine cubes and fry the cubes in 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan (7).
- Beat eggs and milk in a small bowl; add the sweet paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Pour eggs over the bacon in the pan and let them get slightly set (8).
- 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 (9).
- Break the omelet into rough pieces (10) and serve them in the soup.
Vegetarian version
Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock.
Cook the eggs without bacon; a simple omelet is still thoroughly delicious.
Bacon substitutes:
- Herbs and spices: To impart the eggs more flavor, add more herbs and spices. We love a vegetarian omelet made with lots of fresh dill or chives.
- Green onions: Slice them finely and sautรฉ them shortly before adding the eggs.
- Mushrooms: Sautรฉ about 9 oz/250 g of sliced mushrooms in a bit of butter, season them and pour the eggs on top.
- Other vegetables you could use: Finely chopped bell peppers, fresh spinach, diced zucchini, etc.
- Cheese: Add grated cheese to the eggs before pouring them into the frying pan. We love Cheddar, Gouda, a mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan, or another tasty and good-melting cheese.
Expert Tips
I strongly recommend using an immersion blender (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) for blending soups or other hot liquids; itโs safer.
If using a stand blender, there are some things you should consider before you start:
- Allow the soup to cool down to a safe temperature. Hot liquids can expand rapidly when blended, which could cause the lid to pop off or hot soup to splatter, leading to burns or accidents.
- Blend in batches depending on the size of your blender. Overfilling the blender can cause spillage and create a messy situation. Be mindful of the maximum capacity indicated by the blender's manufacturer.
- Start with a low speed to minimize the risk of splattering hot soup. Gradually increase the speed as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
- Hold the lid firmly: Place a folded kitchen towel on top of it and hold it with one hand while operating the blender to ensure it stays in place. This helps prevent accidental spills or the lid from popping off due to pressure.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, frozen rhubarb can be used in the soup. Thaw it before cooking.
Yes. Prepare and cook the soup according to the recipe, then let it cool before refrigerating. Reheat gently on the stovetop when ready to serve. The eggs should be cooked just before serving.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerate cooled rhubarb soup in the covered pot or an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove top or microwave before serving.
Refrigerate leftover eggs separately in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Cut them into smaller pieces, add them to the hot soup, cover the pot, and let stand for about 5 minutes until the eggs are heated.
Freeze the soup without the eggs for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
What to serve with it?
- Bread: Crusty bread or garlic baguette, savory scones, dinner rolls, or biscuits. Try our Spelt Bread, Cheese Buns, or the Yeast Dinner Rolls.
- Salad: A fresh green salad can provide a refreshing contrast to the warm soup. Consider a simple salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and a light vinaigrette dressing.
- Grilled cheese sandwich or another type of sandwich. Or try these Stuffed Bread Rolls.
- Roasted vegetables: Serve a side of roasted vegetables, such as roasted asparagus and tomatoes or caramelized Brussels sprouts.
- Roasted potatoes as a hearty side dish. Toss diced potatoes in olive oil, sprinkle with herbs like rosemary or thyme, and roast them until golden and crispy.
More delicious soup recipes
Recipe
Tangy 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 โ Vegetarian version
- 2 cups pureed /sieved tomatoes/passata 500 g, Note 2
- ยพ cup heavy cream 6 fl. oz/ 175 ml
- 1 large sprig lovage Note 3
Bacon eggs:
- 4.5 oz smoked bacon 125 g
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons milk
- ยฝ 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. 9 oz/ 250 g rhubarb + 2 onions
- Sautรฉ: Heat the oil and cook the rhubarb and the onions until they are softer, 3-4 minutes. 2 tablespoon oil
- Sprinkle the paprika powder on top and stir for another minute. 1 teaspoon paprika
- Add sugar, stock, and tomatoes. If you are using dried lovage, add it to the soup now. Fresh lovage should be added at the end. 1 teaspoon sugar + 4 cups/1-liter stock (+ 1 teaspoon dried lovage if using or other dried herbs like thyme) + 2 cups/ 500 g 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. ยพ cup/ 175 ml heavy cream + more sugar, salt and pepper
- Stir in the chopped lovage, cover the pot, and let it stand while you prepare the eggs.1 sprig lovage
Bacon omelet:
- Cook the bacon: Chop it and cook the cubes in 1 tablespoon oil in a non-stick pan. 4.5 oz/ 125 g bacon + 1 tablespoon oil
- Beat the eggs and milk in a small bowl; add the sweet paprika, salt, and pepper. 6 large eggs + 4 tablespoon milk + ยฝ teaspoon sweet paprika powder + salt + 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).
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 Mulศumesc for posting these!
Adina says
Cu placere! ๐
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! ๐ 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. ๐
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 ๐
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.