Description
This Easy Chicken & Rice Soup is a comforting, hearty dish perfect for chilly days or anytime you need a nourishing meal. Packed with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and a flavorful broth, it’s simple to prepare and can be customized with your favorite grains and toppings like avocado, cilantro, and jalapeno for a fresh twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow or white onion, diced
- 6 carrots, sliced into coins
- 6 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 2 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
- a few sprigs fresh thyme or oregano
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Cooked rice (or any other grain such as farro or quinoa)
- Sliced avocado
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapeno (optional, omit if you prefer no heat)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, sliced celery, minced garlic, and chopped zucchini. Sauté these vegetables for about 10 minutes until they start to soften and develop flavor.
- Add Chicken and Herbs: Place the bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts into the pot along with a few sprigs of fresh thyme or oregano. This adds an aromatic layer to the soup.
- Pour in Stock and Season: Pour in the 2 quarts of chicken stock, adding a cup of water if needed to ensure the chicken is fully submerged. Season the broth with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper according to your taste.
- Simmer Soup: Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface to keep the broth clear. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 1 1/2 hours to fully develop the flavors and tenderize the chicken.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the soup and discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return it to the pot. Heat the soup through and adjust seasoning with additional salt if necessary.
- Serve: Spoon a serving of cooked rice or your chosen grain into individual bowls. Ladle the hot chicken soup over the grains and garnish with sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, jalapeno slices if desired, and lime wedges to brighten the flavors.
Notes
- You can substitute farro or quinoa for rice to add variety or use leftover grains to save time.
- For added heat, keep jalapeno slices as a topping, or exclude for a milder soup.
- Bone-in chicken breasts enhance the broth’s depth of flavor, but you can use boneless if preferred; adjust cooking time accordingly.
- If fresh herbs are unavailable, dried thyme or oregano can be used—use about one-third the amount of fresh herbs.
- Leftover soup refrigerates well for up to 3 days and freezes for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups soup with rice and toppings)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
