Easy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Instructions

• Melt butter in a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onion and the celery are soft. Stir several times.
• Reduce the heat to low.  Add garlic, parsley, thyme, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
• Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the cooked chicken. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste, and garnish with fresh parsley or thyme.

Notes

• I love to use already-cooked rotisserie chicken. They are delicious and available at almost all grocery retailers and warehouse stores like Sam’s and Costco. Or you can poach boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• If you want to kick the seasonings up a notch, consider adding 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning. You can also try adding dried herbs like oregano and bail.
• Remove your bay leaves before serving; they are stiff and have sharp edges.
• Keep in mind that rice absorbs liquid. If you know you will save some soup for leftovers, remove that amount before adding the rice. Reheat on the stovetop, adding the uncooked minute rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 5308IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg