Description
This Chicken and Rice Soup is a comforting and hearty dish that features tender shredded chicken simmered in a flavorful broth with vegetables and seasonings. The rice is cooked separately to maintain perfect texture and prevent it from soaking up too much broth, making it ideal for leftovers and freezing. Simple, nutritious, and customizable, it’s perfect for a cozy meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Frank's)
- 1 1/4 lb. bone-in chicken breast (or chicken thighs)
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cups white long grain rice, uncooked (or 2 1/4 cups cooked rice)
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: In a medium saucepan, add 1½ cups chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the rice, submerge it in the liquid, bring back to a boil, then cover tightly, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes to finish cooking.
- Cook the vegetables: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery; cook for about 4 minutes until softened. Then add minced garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add seasonings and liquids: Stir in dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and pepper. Pour in soy sauce, hot sauce, chicken broth, and add the chicken breast. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 15-20 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and flavors to meld.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the broth, shred it with two forks, discard bones if applicable, and return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Finish the rice and soup: Fluff the cooked rice with a fork. Taste the soup and season with salt if needed. To serve, spoon rice into bowls, ladle hot soup over the rice, and garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs provide the most flavor, but boneless work fine if needed.
- Cook the chicken over very low heat for a juicier texture and more flavorful broth.
- Leftover cooked chicken can be added at the same point and simmered for 15 minutes for flavor blending.
- For even more flavor, top with ranch oyster crackers.
- This recipe can be made in a crock pot: cook on low for 6 hours, shredding the chicken at the end.
- Refrigerate leftovers in separate containers for up to 3 days; freeze for up to 3 months, keeping rice and soup separate.
- Use any variety of rice (e.g., jasmine, basmati) but cooking times and liquid amounts may vary accordingly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
