Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

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4.56 from 318 votes

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

The perfect soup for a cold day or if you have a cold! It also makes a great weeknight meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken and rice soup, chicken soup

Servings:

Calories: 366kcal

Equipment

Large Pot (I love my Staub Dutch oven for soup!)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken stock or broth, or more as needed
1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
2 cups shredded cooked chicken, we use rotisserie chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 1 more minute.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Add in the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. If the rice soaks up too much of the broth, you can add 1 to 2 more cups.
Ladle the soup into bowls and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

*Note-for the shredded chicken you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken and shred it. To cook the chicken for the soup, bring a pot of water on the stove and add two chicken breast, that have been cut into large pieces. Boil the chicken until it is cooked all the way through and there is no pink left. This will take about 7 minutes or so. Drain the water and shred the chicken once it is cooled. I use 2 forks to shred the chicken. You can also use leftover turkey in this soup recipe. You can use wild rice or brown rice, it will just take a little longer to cook!

If the soup gets too thick, add more chicken broth.

Nutrition