A fragrant, golden, savoury Chicken and Rice soup that requires minimum effort to prepare. So deeply satisfying and comforting you will want to eat it all winter long.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time40 minutesmins
Total Time55 minutesmins
Servings: 4- 5
Ingredients
2Tablespoonsolive oil
1 large oniondiced
2large celery stalksdiced
1medium carrot peeled and diced
2large garlic cloves peeled and minced
8chicken thighsbone-in, skin-off
1cuplong-grain brown ricerinsed well
4cupslow-sodium chicken broth
4cupswater(or use all broth)
1teaspoon Kosher saltplus more to taste
freshly ground pepper
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsleyoptional, for garnish
1lime or lemon
Instructions
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook until the vegetables start to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and bay leaf and cook for 30 more seconds.
Add the chicken thighs and rice and stir to coat them in the oil. Pour in the broth and water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check the rice for doneness - it should feel very tender. If rice is done, remove the chicken pieces from the soup and use two forks to separate the meat from the bones. Add the chicken pieces back to the soup and give it all a stir. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve the soup warm with a squirt of lime or lemon juice and garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.
Notes
Tips For Chicken And Rice Soup
Add enough broth or liquid. The rice will absorb a lot of the liquid so make sure you add plenty.
Use a good quality chicken broth. Always buy low-sodium chicken broth and make sure you use one that you know and trust and has a really good flavour. Otherwise the soup will just not be as good. I like this one, and I also like these bouillon cubes.
Season generously. Because the broth is low sodium, and because there is a lot of rice and chicken in the soup, you will need to season it well so it doesn't taste bland. Add the seasoning in stages, tasting as you along until it seems perfect to you.
Add some greens. You can certainly add some chopped spinach at the end, or a bit of kale or chard, if you wish.
To store: This soup keeps well for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and is perfect for lunches throughout the week. Keep in mind the rice will soak up a lot of the broth as it sits, so you may want to stir in a little water or stock when reheating it.