After a long day at work, my "Easy Chicken Rice Soup Recipe" is one of the fastest ways to get a hearty, home-cooked meal on the table. What could be more rewarding than settling down to a dinner that’s not just enjoyable but nourishing as well? With its warm and invigorating flavors, it has become a firm favorite in my household and I'm excited to share it with you (click here to go straight to the recipe).
Why choose chicken soup with rice as your dish? First, the chicken adds a dose of lean protein. Second, the vegetables give you the necessary nutrients and fiber. Lastly, rice offers a source of carbohydrates to give you energy. The full selection of ingredients results in a complete meal in a bowl, it's like a nutrient-rich hug for your taste buds.
Aside from nutritional reasons, there is also the fact that this soup is a breeze to make. And like all one-pot meals, clean-up is a cinch. Great for when someone has to get to dance class in a hurry!
This chicken and rice soup recipe is easy to adapt. Try different vegetables, or maybe switch up the herbs and spices. Want a citrusy note? Add some lemongrass. Prefer your soup spicy? Sprinkle in a dash of cayenne pepper. Who knows? Maybe you’ll invent a new family favorite.
So, what's the magic formula to cooking up this culinary delight that produces great results every time? Here it is. All you'll need are: two chicken breasts, one cup of rice, some aromatic vegetables (carrots, celery, and onions work great), garlic (optional), chicken broth, herbs of your choice (thyme and rosemary are always a good bet), and of course, some salt and pepper.
A lot of recipes will have you seasoning and browning the chicken. To me, this is a poor use of time, especially when you’re in a rush. Yes, you get a little bit of extra flavor from the browned chicken bits, but that gets diluted in the broth. Besides, what you gain in flavor, you lose in texture, as the chicken can quickly get tough.
Instead, start by sauteing your aromatic veggies along with the salt, pepper, herbs, and spices until the veggies are tender. This process will take about five minutes, and will create a flavorful depth to your Chicken Soup With Rice.
Once the veggies are ready, you simply add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let the soup simmer for as long as needed. This amount of time will vary depending on whether you’re using cooked, fresh, or frozen chicken, and whether you’re starting with pre-cooked, raw, or par-cooked rice.
Just before serving I like to add a dash of something acidic, which helps enhance all the other flavors. Apple cider vinegar is my usual choice, but I’ve used lemon, lime, tomato paste, and even yogurt.
The fastest way to cook this soup is to use pre-cooked rice and chicken, which will take no more than about ten minutes or so to heat through. But there are other options, of course.
If you start with plain, uncooked long grain rice, expect it to take about twenty minutes from the time the soup starts boiling (it does not need to continue boiling; a simmer is fine.) In this case, you can add your pre-cooked chicken about 5 minutes before serving. The other thing to note is that uncooked rice will absorb some of your broth, so be prepared to top up your liquid.
Par-cooked rice, such as “Minute Rice”, is a great shortcut if you don’t happen to have left over rice from a previous meal. While it’s not as fast as pre-cooked rice, it’s still much faster than starting with uncooked rice. Make sure to read the directions of whichever brand you happen to buy, but it should be around five to ten minutes. Like uncooked rice, par-cooked rice will absorb some of your broth, so expect to add some more at the end.
This is the fastest and easiest, and it’s one of the reasons I almost always cook extra rice. However, there is one downside: because it was already cooked, it will not absorb any broth. That means your rice will be a bit less flavorful than if you used uncooked or par-cooked rice. Frankly, this isn’t a big deal; your soup will already have a ton of flavor, but if you really want to avoid putting bland rice in your soup, consider cooking your rice in chicken broth.
Unless I’m in a rush, this is my preferred way to make chicken rice soup. It takes a little longer than regular long-grain rice, but it has a richer, nuttier flavor that my family really enjoys.
While I’m on the subject, I should mention that other grains can be substituted as well: quinoa, barley, farro, and millet are excellent choices. Just be sure to check how long each one takes to cook, and keep an eye on how much broth they soak up.
As stated before, precooked chicken only needs to be cooked for about five minutes to warm through and get a little rehydrated with the broth. Almost all of my leftover chicken goes into soup. In fact, I sometimes buy a rotisserie chicken just so I can have it on hand for soup!
Cooked chicken should be cut into small pieces before being added to the soup.
To speed up the cooking process, cut your chicken into small pieces, and add to the soup about ten to fifteen minutes before serving. I prefer using breast meat, but there’s nothing wrong with dark meat if your family likes it better.
This is by far the most convenient option, at least from a shopping perspective. Having a freezer full of frozen chicken makes dinner time decisions a snap. However, it does take longer to cook. My method is to put the chicken breasts in just before the broth, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. I then use tongs to remove the chicken, then let it cool before cutting it into pieces.
The chicken probably won’t be fully cooked at this point, but return it to the soup for another ten minutes and it will be ready to serve.
Unless you make your own chicken broth, you have two main options for broth. The first is ready-to-use liquid broth, usually in a cardboard box, but also sometimes sold in jars or cans. The second is the kind you mix, typically from a powder or cube.
If you are mixing your own, don’t be skimpy. A weak broth makes for a weak soup, regardless of the other ingredients.
Also, when adding broth to your soup, use less than you think you might need. You can always add more, but it’s hard to remove broth without removing other ingredients too. I usually add just enough to cover the other ingredients, but you’ll need a little more if you’re using uncooked rice.
Remember, the key to perfecting the Chicken And Rice Soup is low heat. If you rush it and cook it too fast on too high heat, the textures and flavors won't have time to develop properly. However, it does need to get to a boil at the start. This is for three reasons.
First, boiling activates the starches in uncooked rice, and helps it cook faster. Second, it shortens the amount of time that the chicken will be in the unsafe temperature zone. This is particularly important for frozen chicken. Lastly, the simmering time starts sooner than if you simply started the soup on at a low temperature.
With this easy Chicken Rice Soup Recipe, you can now offer your family a wholesome and satisfying meal, even after a long day of work. But the beauty of it doesn't stop there.
If you want an even faster cooking time, consider preparing the vegetables ahead of time. Having the ingredients ready to pop into the pot directly will save you both the preparation time and the cleaning afterward. I usually prepare mine in large batches on lazy weekends.
Another way to make this dish faster and more convenient is to use a slow cooker. Just pop all the ingredients in when you leave for work and return home to a wonderful aroma and a warm bowl of goodness. If you have an Instant Pot, remember that it doubles as a slow cooker.
If you like garlic or ginger, you should know that they are both available in jars, pre-minced for your convenience. Zero preparation time, and they last longer in your fridge, too!
If you know ahead of time that you’ll be making chicken soup with rice, you can soak your rice to reduce the cooking time. The rice should soak for at least eight hours, but overnight is best. Always rinse your rice first to remove the excess starch (otherwise it will get clumpy), and add enough water to submerge the rice by at least two inches. Drain thoroughly before adding to your soup.
There you have it! A simple, nutritious, and delicious Chicken And Rice Soup recipe that's easy to make and sure to become a new family favorite. Not to mention, it's quite fun to create variations of your own.
Just remember, whether you're having a quiet dinner at home, nursing a cold or serving a crowd, a good bowl of soup is a symbol of comfort and the epitome of home cooking. And armed with this easy Chicken Rice Soup Recipe, satisfying everyone's taste buds no longer needs to be a daunting task. Happy cooking!
Can you freeze this soup? Rice tends to get mushy when frozen and thawed, so freezing will probably change the texture a little. That said, it won’t change the flavor. Worst case, you’ll have a tasty stew to look forward to!