Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup

Name: Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 1 and 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast; 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil; 2 Tablespoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1 cup long grain white rice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; Water (check your package instructions to see how much water is called for); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 3 large carrots, peeled and diced; 2 stalks celery, diced; 1 large onion, finely diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 8 cups chicken stock (or chicken bone broth); 1 cup water; 2 bay leaves; 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice; 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped; 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

January 7, 2020 by Ashley Manila 38 Comments

Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup is SO delicious and comforting, you’ll want to curl up with a big bowl all Winter long! Loaded with tender chicken, tons of veggies, and plenty of rice, this soup is total comfort food. To make this recipe extra quick and easy, skip roasting the chicken and use a store-bought rotisserie chicken instead!

Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Somewhere between NYE and our mini NYC vacation, I caught a cold. But not just any cold!!! It’s one of those nasty colds that just won’t quit. So I’m taking my moms advice and dealing with it the old-fashioned way: plenty of sleep and plenty of soup! Thankfully, soup and sleep are two of my love languages. So the cure is actually quite pleasant!

I typically make chicken noodle soup when I’m under the weather, but we are out of noodles and I’m in no shape to run to the grocery! So I decided to make a lemony chicken and rice soup instead. I used white rice, but I think brown rice or even wild rice would work fine!

What you need to make Chicken and Rice Soup

Olive Oil: I prefer using a mild olive oil, so the flavor isn’t too overpowering.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Just a dash adds a nice peppery flavor without making this soup “spicy”. May be omitted!
Onion: Yellow or White will work!
Carrots: 3 large ones!
Celery: You’ll need to stalks for this soup!
Garlic: 5 cloves make this soup nice and flavorful.
Salt and Pepper: To season!
Chicken Stock: For an added health boost, use chicken bone broth! We used half chicken bone broth and half regular chicken broth the last time we made this. So you can definitely mess around here.
Bay Leaves: Add flavor while the soup simmers. Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving and storing the soup.
Chicken Breasts: Or chicken thighs! Or, you can use a store-bought chicken. If you’re roasting the chicken, you’ll want to let it slightly cool, then shred it with two forks (or your fingers).
Garlic Powder: To season the chicken breasts! Adds a nice garlicky flavor.
Lemon Juice: You’ll need about 3 to 4 nice and heavy lemons! You’ll use the juice for the chicken breasts and the chicken soup.
Rice: COOKED RICE!!!! Sorry to scream. But you must cook your rice before adding it to the broth. If you add rice into the broth and cook it in the soup, it will soak up all of your precious broth and you’ll be left with chicken and rice mush.
Dill: My favorite ingredient! It adds such a bright flavor the soup. And pairs delightfully with the lemon!
Parmesan Cheese: My SECOND favorite ingredient. Stirring this into the soup makes it super flavorful and just slightly creamy. But with no cream! Don’t skip this!

How to make Chicken and Rice Soup

In a large pot over medium heat, saute olive oil with pepper flakes, onion, carrots, and celery. Add in the garlic and cook for a minute. Season with salt and pepper, then pour in the chicken broth. Add bay leaves.
Increase to medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for at least 30 minutes.
In the meantime, roast the chicken and prepare your cooked rice.
Stir the shredded chicken and cooked rice into the broth. Stir in the fresh dill and lemon juice. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls and serve warm! Preferably with crusty bread for dipping!

More Comforting Soup Recipes:

If you try this recipe for Lemony Chicken and Rice Soup, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day.