Fall is in full swing and there is nothing better than a warm and cozy bowl of chicken and rice soup. Make this soup quickly by using leftover chicken and my recipe; you can hip up a pot in as little as 45 minutes.
Don’t have already cooked chicken? Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a glass or ceramic oven dish, bake one (or two) chicken breasts for about 30 minutes. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure the inside temperature reaches 165 degrees to kill ensure food safety. Let it cool a bit, then you can dice your chicken and start your soup.
Chicken Broth
Bring a pot of chicken broth to a boil, then reduce the heat on your stove to a simmer. If you do not have chicken broth on hand, you can make your own with bullion. I like to keep Premium Better than Bullion Roasted Chicken Base on hand; this is what I used. Follow the recipe on your bullion package to create enough broth for your soup.
Carrots & Celery
Slice about three large carrots and two large celery stalks into even pieces. Put them in the simmering broth. Add the chicken to the broth, as well.
Seasoning
Next, add your seasonings. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your tastes.
- Salt (I like fine Pink Himalayan Salt),
- Ground pepper (I love rainbow peppercorns freshly ground with a pepper mill),
- Litehouse Poultry Herb Blend, and
- Minced garlic.
Add Rice to Your Soup
After all the other ingredients have had time for the flavors to meld, add rice the soup. It will complete cooking while the other ingredients simmer. I used Mahatma Extra Long Grain White Rice in this recipe, but other rice might be a suitable substitute.
Simmer the Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Allow your soup to simmer until the rice and vegetables have become tender, but not yet soggy. This is especially important if you are planning to meal-prep this soup and freeze it for later. You don’t want overly-mushy soup after it is re-heated.
Serve and Enjoy
When your Chicken and Rice Soup recipe has finished cooking, you are ready to eat! Let it cool a little, then serve cozy meals to your whole family. Or, save the batch in individual soup containers and freeze for later.
Cozy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (about three large carrots)
- 1 cup sliced celery (about two large stalks)
- 1 1/2 cups fully cooked, diced chicken (about one large chicken breast)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning Blend
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 cups rice
Directions
- Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer (low to medium low heat).
- Add carrots, celery, diced chicken, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add rice and cover. Continue simmering for 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Let cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
This chicken and rice soup recipe freezes well. Once the soup cools, I put mine in disposable paper soup cups then toss in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove and you have a cozy meal in no time!