Hearty one pot chicken and rice soup full of nourishing veggies, white rice, and juicy chicken breast. With plenty of garlic, parsley, fresh lemon, and a pinch of turmeric, this really is chicken soup for the soul. Did I mention it’s easy? Slurp liberally for healing vibes!
Homemade chicken and rice soup is knockin’ and your better answer!
Inspired by its vegetarian soul sister Healing Immune Boosting Soup, today we’re dishing out a classic soup with a nourishing twist. She’s cozy, she’s zippy, and I’m 99.9% Grandma would approve.
What sets this recipe apart is that we’re cooking everything together in one pot. Booya! We’re nailing the timing so the chicken is perfectly cooked and the rice starts to melt into the soup just a bit. There’s plenty of broth (no cream here!) so the rice doesn’t soak up too much.
So whether you’ve got a cold or just want something stick-to-your-ribs for dinner, this soup delivers in the health and flavor department. Divine with a hunk of sourdough for dipping!
The low down on star ingredients
- Chicken breast: Two small to medium chicken breasts boiled in the soup create a rich, umami broth. You could also use chicken thighs; I just don’t love them. The key is not overcooking the chicken with the rice, so we cook the rice a little first. P.S. If you’re looking for a more creamy vibe, don’t sleep on my Cozy Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup.
- Rice: I tested this recipe with dry jasmine and basmati rice, unrinsed to keep the starch to thicken the soup. Jasmine cooks super fast and the rice will break down into the soup (what I used in these photos). Basmati or long grain white rice takes 15-20 minutes, so it’s ideal. I like white because it cooks quicker in the soup, and because I always want white rice when I’m sick! For brown, simply cook it longer before adding chicken per the recipe notes.
- Veggies: A mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) add not only plenty of nutrients, but also a stellar foundation for building flavor. I mean what’s chicken soup without this trio?!
- Butter: Even though I use good extra virgin olive oil 99% of the time, in this recipe butter adds that quintessential cozy, classic flavor we crave in chicken soup. Since chicken breast has virtually no fat, I found in testing that butter adds oomph. If you need dairy free, use vegan butter or extra virgin olive oil.
- Lots of salt: It’s shocking to some people how much salt goes in soup but it’s key for flavor. If you feel like it’s missing oomph, I can almost guarantee it’s under-salted.
- Turmeric: I love a pinch of turmeric for the gorgeous golden hue but also for the anti-inflammatory power of its bioactive compound curcumin, which works with the black pepper to add wonderful health benefits to this soup!
- Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon really brightens this soup and gives it a little something special. Plus who couldn’t use some extra vitamin C right now?!
- Parsley: Ahhh, the wonders of my herbaceous pal parsley in chicken soup. Earthy and delish!
Let’s make it!
Get that mirepoix cookin’! Why are soft soup veggies so good?
Add broth, rice, spices. Simmer.
Add chicken. Cook, shred, and add back to soup with lemon and parsley. Cheers!
Storage
You can keep leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken as it sits but it won’t keep getting thicker, which is nice!
I hope you’re as obsessed with this slurp-worthy soup as I am!
I’d be super grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you’ll crave!
Just what the doctor (err, dietitian) ordered.
Healing Chicken and Rice Soup (brothy!)
-
Prep Time:
15 minutes -
Cook Time:
30 minutes -
Total Time:
45 minutes -
Yield:
6–8 servings 1x -
Category:
Soups -
Method:
Stovetop -
Cuisine:
American -
Diet:
Gluten Free
Description
Hearty one pot chicken and rice soup full of nourishing veggies, white rice, and juicy chicken breast. With plenty of garlic, parsley, fresh lemon, and a pinch of turmeric, this really is chicken soup for the soul. Did I mention it’s easy? Slurp liberally for healing vibes!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Instructions
- Warm butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add onion, carrots, celery and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add broth, rice, oregano, thyme, turmeric, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
- Add chicken and bring back to a simmer. Simmer gently on low heat for 15-20 minutes (mine took 20), covered, or until chicken is fully cooked to 165F.
- Remove chicken and set aside in a bowl. Once cool, shred with two forks (or you hands!).
- Add shredded chicken back to pot along with lemon juice and parsley. Season with salt and pepper (I add another ½ tsp salt) to taste. Enjoy hot!
Notes
*Basmati or long grain white rice is ideal because it cooks in 15-20 minutes which works well with the chicken. Jasmine rice only takes 10-15 minutes (shown in photos) so it will break down more in soup, which I actually like! To use brown rice, cook it for 15 minutes before adding chicken.
If you prefer more al dente rice that doesn’t melt into the soup, you don’t need to cook it for 5 minutes first. Just add chicken in step 2 and cook for 20 minutes total, or until chicken is done.
