Chicken And Rice Soup

This chicken and rice soup is so simple to put together. It is full of flavor and not only does it fill you up, it warms the soul. It is so good. The carrots add a wonderful sweetness to the soup while the celery and onions give it a light earthy flavor.

I often make double the amount and freeze half of it so I can pull it out on busier days. I add some crusty bread for dunking for a delicious and filling meal.

Let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Onion – diced
4 Carrots – Sliced
4 Stalks Of Celery – diced
4 Cloves of Garlic – minced
2 Chicken Breasts
1 Tsp. Oregano – dried
1/2 Tsp. Thyme – dried
1/2 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp. Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper – to taste
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
8 C. Chicken Broth
1 C. uncooked Rice (3/4 cup if you want it more soupy) – rinsed with water

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a soup pot over medium-low heat add the oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Season with a little salt and pepper. Toss and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until slightly tender.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. The garlic should be fragrant.
3. Add the broth, chicken breasts, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 1 hour.
4. Remove the chicken to a plate and let cool slightly.
5. Add the rice and stir. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and cooked through.
6. In the meantime, shred the chicken.
7. Add the shredded chicken back to the pot along with the lemon juice. Stir and adjust the seasoning to taste.
8. Serve as desired.
   
   

• If you want the soup to be a bit. more “soupy” add 3/4 cup of the rice. Be mindful that rice will absorb almost all of the liquid in the soup. If this happens you can always add more broth to thin it back out.
• Swap out the rice. You can use brown rice or wild rice for a different flavor profile within the soup. I often do this as well. Our favorite to add is white or wild rice. If you can find it, try black rice. It also works really well in this soup. We pick this up at our local Asian store or you can order it online.
• Don’t want rice? No problem. Add pasta or egg noodles. This depends on how much pasta you want. 1 cup for the super small pasta. 2 cups for the medium pasta and egg noodles. Add as much or as little as you want.
• I like to serve this with some crusty bread for dunking up that yummy soup.
• Add some fresh parsley or cilantro on top for a bit of fresh herby flavor. Or add 1/2 cup of fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro, green onions- chopped) right at the end of cooking and stir into the soup.
• Add a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top for a wonderful cheesy flavor.