Description
This comforting Chicken and Rice Soup features tender chicken simmered with aromatic vegetables and seasonings, paired with fluffy white rice cooked separately to maintain perfect texture. It's a warm, flavorful dish ideal for cozy meals and easy leftovers.
Ingredients
Scale
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 ¼ pounds bone-in chicken breast
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cups white long grain rice, uncooked (or 2 ¼ cups cooked rice)
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Cook Vegetables: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté and soften the vegetables for 4 minutes, then stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in the dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and pepper along with the soy sauce and hot sauce. Add the bone-in chicken breast and chicken broth to the pot.
- Simmer Chicken Soup: Bring the soup to a very gentle bubble. Cover the pot partially and allow the chicken to cook slowly for about 20 minutes to keep it tender. Avoid boiling to prevent tough meat. Remove the chicken, shred it with two forks, discard the bones, and return the shredded chicken to the soup.
- Cook the Rice Separately: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil. Add the uncooked rice, ensure it is submerged, then return to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for 10 minutes to finish cooking and release any stuck grains. This yields 2 ¼ cups cooked rice.
- Season Soup and Serve: Taste the soup and add salt if desired. To serve, spoon the cooked rice into bowls and ladle the hot soup on top. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy. If no leftovers are expected, the rice can be stirred directly into the soup.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken breast or thighs for the most flavorful broth; boneless works fine in a pinch.
- Simmer chicken on low heat for longer cooking to make it extra juicy and rich-tasting.
- Leftover or rotisserie chicken (about 2 cups cooked) can be used; add it during simmering without boiling.
- The soy sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder enhance flavor subtly without overt taste; use Frank's hot sauce for best results.
- Top the soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for added flavor and texture.
- Rice is cooked separately to prevent it from absorbing too much broth, allowing better storage; freeze soup and rice separately for up to 3 months.
- The recipe is featured in The Cozy Cookbook, page 39.
- Try the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe next for variety.
- Crock Pot Method: Melt butter in the Crock Pot, add veggies and garlic, then seasonings, chicken, and broth. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred chicken at the end and add cooked rice separately.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
