Chicken And Rice Soup

This chicken and rice soup recipe is made with chicken breasts, however, you could make it with rotisserie chicken just as easily. You could also swap the white rice for wild or brown rice, but you will need to increase the cooking time accordingly.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 cup long-grain white rice (basmati or jasmine)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Fresh parsley, to serve

Instructions

In a large pot on medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes until onions are translucent and vegetables are tender.
Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, salt, and pepper, and stir to coat the vegetables and warm for an additional minute until fragrant.

Add the rice and stir to combine with the vegetable mixture. Then pour in the broth and water and add the bay leaf.
Add the raw chicken breasts to the pot, submerging them in the broth, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and allow to cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After 30 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the pot and place them on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred them into small bite-size pieces.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer the soup, covered, for a final 5 minutes. If you find the soup too thick, simply add some extra broth or water until it reaches the consistency of your choice.
Once cooked, season the chicken and rice soup with additional salt and pepper to taste, and serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Notes

To Use Leftover Chicken: Instead of adding the raw chicken breasts in step #4, simmer the soup for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Shred the chicken as per step #5 and then add 4 cups of shredded cooked chicken as per instructions in step #6.

To Use Leftover Rice: Instead of adding 1 cup of raw rice in step #3, add 3 cups of cooked rice along with the chicken in step #6.

To Use Long-Grain Brown Rice or Wild Rice: Prepare the soup as per instruction up until step #1, add the brown or wild rice as instructed in step #2, and cook it for 20 minutes before adding the raw chicken as in step #4. Then continue cooking soup as instructed.

To Use Fresh Thyme: Swap the dried thyme for 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme.

To Make it in a Slow Cooker: Add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook it on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the soup and place them on a cutting board. Shred the soup into bite-size pieces and return them to the soup for an additional 10 minutes before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

To Make it in an Instant Pot: Select the Instant Pot sauté setting, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the thyme, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken, and add the bay leaf, raw rice, and raw chicken breasts. Lock the lid, close the pressure release valve, and pressure cook on High pressure for 5 minutes (the timer will count down once pressure is reached, which takes roughly 15 minutes). When done, press Cancel and use the quick-release method to release the pressure. Remove the chicken breasts from the soup, shred them into bite-size pieces, and then return them to the soup to reheat for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving

Calories: 356 calories
Sugar: 5 grams
Fat: 7 grams

Carbohydrates: 47 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 25 grams