Description
A comforting and flavorful Chicken and Rice Soup made with tender bone-in chicken breast, aromatic vegetables, and a blend of herbs and seasonings. The rice is cooked separately to prevent it from soaking up too much broth, allowing for perfect texture and easy storage. This classic soup is perfect for a cozy meal and freezes well for convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (e.g., Frank's)
- 1 ¼ pounds bone-in chicken breast
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Rice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup white long grain rice, uncooked (or 2 ¼ cups cooked rice)
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery. Cook and soften the vegetables for 4 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add Seasonings and Chicken: Stir in the dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and pepper. Add the soy sauce, hot sauce, bone-in chicken breast, and 5 cups of chicken broth to the pot.
- Simmer the Soup: Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, not a boil, and cover partially. Let the chicken cook slowly through for about 20 minutes until fully cooked. Remove the chicken, shred it using two forks, discard the bones, and return the shredded chicken to the soup pot.
- Cook the Rice Separately: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil. Add the uncooked rice, submerge it, and bring it back to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking and release from the bottom.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and add salt if desired. Spoon the cooked rice into serving bowls, ladle the hot soup over the rice, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve immediately. Alternatively, if no leftovers are expected, mix the rice directly into the soup before serving.
Notes
- For best flavor, use bone-in chicken breast or chicken thighs; boneless works as well if on hand.
- You can simmer the chicken over low heat for a longer time to make the broth richer and chicken juicier.
- Use rotisserie or leftover cooked chicken (about 2 cups) by adding it during the simmering stage and letting flavors blend without boiling.
- The soy sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder act as subtle flavor enhancers and aren't detected prominently in the soup.
- Top the soup with Ranch Oyster Crackers for extra flavor and texture.
- This soup freezes well; store cooked rice and soup separately in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
- Other rice varieties can be used with adjusted cooking liquid and time based on package instructions.
- For a slow cooker version, cook all ingredients except rice on low for 6 hours, shred chicken, then add rice separately when serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 160 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
