Description
This One-Pot Chicken and Rice Soup is a comforting, wholesome meal that combines tender bone-in chicken breasts, fragrant basmati rice, and a medley of fresh vegetables simmered together in flavorful chicken stock. Enhanced with fresh lemon juice and parsley, this easy-to-make soup is perfect for a nourishing lunch or dinner. Ready in under an hour, it’s a classic recipe that delivers hearty taste with minimal effort, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)
Grains
- 1 cup long-grain white rice, like basmati
Vegetables
- 2 celery ribs, diced small
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
- 1 onion, diced small
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
Seasonings & Liquids
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 quarts unsalted or low-sodium chicken stock
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Assemble the soup and bring to a simmer: Combine the chicken, white rice, celery, carrots, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for about 25 minutes: As the soup simmers, skim off any foam that collects on the surface with a spoon. Continue cooking until the rice and vegetables are tender, roughly 25 minutes. Then, remove the pot from the heat.
- Shred the chicken and make the garlic paste: Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the chicken breasts and garlic cloves from the soup. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and shred it finely with two forks, discarding the bones. Smash the garlic cloves into a paste using a fork or knife flat against a cutting board. Return the shredded chicken and garlic paste to the soup pot.
- Season and serve: Stir the lemon juice into the soup and taste. Adjust seasoning with additional salt or lemon juice as needed to balance the flavors. Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
- This is the easiest chicken and rice soup you can make, ready in under an hour with just one pot.
- Using bone-in chicken breasts adds extra flavor to the broth.
- Feel free to adjust salt and lemon juice at the end to suit your taste preferences.
- This soup stores well, making it great for meal prep.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup (approximately 1 ladle)
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 878 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 62 mg
