Description
This hearty Chicken and Rice Soup combines tender shredded chicken, flavorful broth, fresh vegetables, and perfectly cooked rice for a comforting and satisfying meal. Ideal for meal prep and freezing, it’s easy to customize with your favorite seasonings and toppings.
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 boneless)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Rice
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3/4 cup uncooked white long grain rice (or 2 1/4 cups cooked rice)
Instructions
- Prepare the rice: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil. Add the rice, ensure it’s submerged, then bring back to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb the liquid. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
- 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. 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 the mixture to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken from the soup, discard bones if any, and shred with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the soup and simmer gently to combine flavors.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Spoon cooked rice into bowls, ladle hot soup over the rice, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken breasts or thighs add more flavor; boneless ones work fine too.
- For extra juiciness, simmer chicken over low heat longer or use leftover rotisserie chicken added towards the end.
- The rice is cooked separately to prevent it from soaking up too much broth, ensuring leftovers can be stored separately and reheated well.
- Leftovers freeze well if stored separately in airtight containers—soup for up to 3 months, rice for up to 1 month.
- Feel free to add your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, green onions, or crackers.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
