Chicken and Rice Soup
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
253 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Soup
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Cuisine
American
Chicken and Rice Soup
Description
This soup begins by gently sautéing chopped celery, carrots, and onion in olive oil until softened and translucent. Minced garlic is then added briefly before pouring in the chicken stock. Chicken breasts, white rice, thyme, salt, and pepper are added to the simmering broth. The soup is covered and cooked until the chicken is fully cooked through and the rice tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Once cooked, the chicken is removed and shredded with forks before returning to the pot, stirring to combine. The thyme and parsley provide subtle herbal notes that complement the vegetables and chicken. The broth remains clear and light but flavorful, with the rice adding body and substance.
This soup serves well as a light, warming meal or starter, suitable for using leftover chicken or raw chicken. It freezes well and reheats easily, with the option to add cream or lemon juice for variation.
Enhancements include swapping in wild rice or brown rice for different textures, adding extra vegetables such as zucchini or peas, or enriching the broth with evaporated milk or cream near the end of cooking. Fresh lemon juice added just before serving brightens the flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large celery chopped, ribs
- 2 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 3 garlic minced, cloves
- 5 cups chicken stock 1.2L, or chicken broth
- 1 pound chicken breast 450g, boneless, skinless
- ½ cup long grain white rice (96g)
- 2 teaspoons thyme plus more to garnish, chopped fresh
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper ground
- parsley for garnish, chopped, fresh
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, add the chicken breasts, rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Remove the chicken from the soup, and place it in a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.
- Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. Serve garnished with additional parsley and thyme. Soup can be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. You may need to add additional broth when reheating.
Notes
- Leftover roasted or rotisserie chicken can be added after rice cooks to warm through, providing a quick alternative to cooking raw chicken in the soup.
- For a nuttier texture and flavor, substitute wild rice or brown rice, noting these require longer cooking times and extra broth.
- To make the soup creamy, stir in up to ½ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream at the end with shredded chicken.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice before serving to brighten flavor, but avoid if using cream as it may curdle.
- Additional vegetables like zucchini, peas, spinach, or kale can be added; heartier vegetables go in with rice, tender greens last to wilt.
- To shred chicken easily, use two forks or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 253 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 253kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 24g | 8% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.01g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 54mg | 18% |
| Sodium | 781mg | 33% |
| Potassium | 617mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 4077IU | 82% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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