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5.0 from 1,242 votes

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup Recipe

This Chicken Lemon Rice Soup is recipe full of hearty vegetables, chicken thighs, and rice in a homemade lemony broth!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 249 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 3 large carrots diced
  • 3 celery stalks diced
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 8 cups water
  • ½ cup short grain rice
  • 2 lemons juiced about ⅓ cup
  • parsley for serving

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken, the bay leaves and the remaining salt and pepper.
  3. Add the water and rice, and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
  4. Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and chop into ½-inch pieces. Return the chopped chicken to the soup and remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.

Notes

  • Storage: Let it cool completely before transferring in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop or in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through. The rice will absorb moisture as it sits, so you may want to stir in a little water or stock when reheating to loosen it back up.
  • Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Original Recipe
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs1 onion diced3 carrots diced3 celery stalks diced2 bay leavesSalt and pepper to taste8 cups water1 tablespoon olive oil2 garlic cloves minced½ teaspoon dried thyme½ cup short grain or Arborio rice2 lemons juicedParsley for servingInstructionsPlace chicken and scraps from the outer layers and end of the onions, carrots and celery in a large stock pot. Season with salt and pepper, add bay leaves and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.Remove chicken and shred; then strain the chicken broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetable scraps.Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and rice, then return the broth to the stockpot and bring a boil.Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with fresh parsley, if desired.
  • Instead of short grain rice, you can use long-grain rice or brown rice. If you're using brown rice, be sure to add an extra 25 minutes to the cooking time though. You can also use potatoes, riced cauliflower, celery root or chopped zucchini for some grain free and/or low carb options.
  • If you don't have thyme, feel free to use oregano, parsley, cilantro or other herbs.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1.5cups Calories 249kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 22g (7%) Protein 24g (48%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 3g Trans Fat 0.02g Cholesterol 108mg (36%) Sodium 723mg (30%) Potassium 482mg (14%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 5150IU (103%) Vitamin C 23mg (26%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 249

% Daily Value*

Serving 1.5cups
Calories 249kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 22g 7%
Protein 24g 48%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 0.02g 1%
Cholesterol 108mg 36%
Sodium 723mg 30%
Potassium 482mg 10%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 5150IU 103%
Vitamin C 23mg 26%
Calcium 53mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.