Description
Hearty chicken and rice soup celebrates comfort with a classic blend of tender chicken, aromatic vegetables, and perfectly cooked rice. Warm broth and wholesome ingredients create a satisfying meal you’ll savor from first spoonful to last.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken works great)
- 8 cups / 2 liters chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked white or brown rice
- 2 tbsps olive oil or butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley)
- 1 bay leaf
- 0.5 lemon, juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Crusty bread for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Base: Gently caramelize onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until translucent, developing a rich aromatic foundation for the soup.
- Herb Infusion: Quickly stir in garlic, thyme, and parsley to enhance the vegetable mixture with layered herbaceous notes, avoiding any risk of burning.
- Liquid Development: Introduce chicken broth to the pot, bringing it to a gentle boil while adding uncooked rice and a bay leaf to initiate depth of flavor.
- Slow Simmer: Reduce heat and cover, allowing rice to absorb broth and soften completely, merging ingredients into a harmonious mixture for 20-35 minutes.
- Protein Integration: Fold shredded chicken into the simmering liquid, enabling the meat to warm through and seamlessly blend with surrounding ingredients.
- Final Seasoning: Extract bay leaf, then calibrate taste profile with salt and pepper, ensuring a balanced and robust flavor experience.
- Bright Finish: Enhance soup with a citrusy splash of lemon juice, elevating the overall taste and providing a subtle, refreshing undertone.
- Presentation: Transfer steaming soup into serving bowls, crowning with fresh parsley for visual appeal and an additional herbaceous essence, and accompany with crusty bread.
Notes
- Prevent Garlic Burning: Stir minced garlic quickly and at medium-low heat to avoid bitter, scorched flavors that can ruin the soup’s delicate taste.
- Rice Absorption Technique: Choose short-grain or medium-grain rice for better broth absorption and creamy texture; adjust liquid ratio if using different rice types.
- Chicken Tenderness Tip: Use leftover roasted chicken or poach chicken breasts gently to ensure meat remains moist and tender when added to the soup.
- Flavor Enhancement Hack: Allow soup to rest 15-20 minutes after cooking to let ingredients meld, creating deeper, more complex taste profiles and improving overall harmony.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg