Chicken and Rice Soup
This easy chicken and rice soup is a nourishing soup recipe made with chicken, tender vegetables, rice and a flavorful broth.
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock , plus more as needed
- 1 cup water
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme , or 3/4 teaspoon ground thyme (more to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice , more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt , plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , plus more to taste
- ¾ cup long grain rice
- 2 ½ cups cooked chicken breast
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat 1-2 Tablespoons oil. Add 1/2 cup onion, 1 cup carrots, and 1 cup celery. Sauté about 3 minutes and stir in 1 teaspoons minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- Stir in 6 cups chicken broth, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil and turn the heat to medium-low. Add 3/4 cup rice and cover pot with a lid. Simmer 10 20 minutes, or until the the rice is almost cooked through. Stir in 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken. Add more lemon juice, thyme, salt, and pepper, if needed. Cook just until the rice is tender.
- Remove soup from heat. Serve while hot.
Notes
Rice: Check the rice packaging that you are using for cook time and adjust cooking time accordingly, you do not want to overcook it. If using brown rice, it will take about 35 to 45 minutes to cook.
Cooked rice: If using leftover rice, add in the last minute of cooking and use 1 cup less broth.
Storage: The soup will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator if stored in an airtight container. After sitting overnight, it will absorb more liquid and thicken up a bit. So feel free to add another can of broth if needed when reheating.
Freeze: When freezing this soup, I'd recommend leaving out the rice. It has a tendency to get mushy in the freezer. When reheating, simply prepare the rice separately and then mix it in right before serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 65mg, Sodium: 1253mg, Potassium: 431mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 4427IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
