Chicken Vegetable Soup with Rice
A hearty, healthy soup filled with chicken, vegetables and rice is the perfect answer to “What is for dinner tonight?”.
Have you ever heard of the children’s book “Chicken Soup with Rice”? My daughter learned it in pre-school and sang it constantly. Flash forward three years, and I found myself with lots of leftover rice, chicken and chicken stock. Poof! The song about Chicken Soup with Rice, comes to mind. I get a little giddy thinking about my little one being thrilled to eat “chicken soup with rice” just like her book. I thought I was so smart and creative. I couldn’t wait until she got home from school to tell her. Lucy, our dog, and I were sitting on the porch waiting for her. She ran up the path and I said “Guess what? I made “chicken soup with rice”. Her reply “Seriously, Mom”. No, not the “Seriously” as in I am so happy you made this delicious soup for me, but the “Seriously” with the eye roll. The kind of seriously that reminds me of a teenager talking to a parent who is embarrassing them. She went from 7 years old to 13 in a nano-second. My heart sank just a little. My little girl is growing up too quickly, and sometimes I forget that she is a big grown up 2nd grader now. When she came into the house, she asked what smelled so delicious. A glimmer of hope reached my heart. I couldn’t help myself “Chicken Soup with Rice”, I chanted. She rolled her eyes again, but ran to the pot and asked for a taste. I gave her a spoonful. Oh that is delicious, can I have a bowl now? Ha! She didn’t want some fun snack, but a bowl of healthy Chicken Vegetable Soup with Rice. In my mind, I did the “Mommy Happy Dance”. She may not have appreciated my attempt at whimsy, but she sure did enjoy the soup. Mommy 1, Lyla 0.
This makes a big pot. We are actually having leftover soup tonight with some no-knead bread. I do adore leftover night. Plus this is a very economical meal. Soup is a great way to stretch your dollars (or pounds or whatever currency you use). At the end of the week, throw your leftover vegetables into a pot with some stock, and you will have a delicious soup. Homemade chicken stock really does make this soup special, but you can use store-bought. They are getting so much better. Chicken Vegetable Soup with Rice also comes together quickly. It doesn’t need to simmer for hours. Here’s a little tip. If you have store-bought chicken broth, buy chicken breasts that are still on the bone. You don’t want any skin. Cook it on the bone, and it will help infuse more chicken flavor into the store-bought stock. Plus chicken still on the bone is usually cheaper, another money-saving tip.
Grab a spoon, a pretty bowl and enjoy a bowl of hearty and healthy Chicken Vegetable Soup with Rice. I hope you will come back on Tuesday for a new recipe, Pumpkin Cornbread.
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 12 servings
Serving Size: About 2 cups
Calories per serving: 323
Fat per serving: 3g/Carbs 42g/Fiber 4g/Protein 29g
Ingredients
- 1 tsp. oil
- 3 cups sliced carrot
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 2 1/2 cups roughly, chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
- 1/2 to 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 1 ¼ lb. chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 8 cups home-made or low sodium chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Place Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat, add oil and spread around the pot.
- Add carrots, celery, onion and, garlic. Cover the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp kosher salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute
- Add chicken broth, chicken, bay leaf and more salt if needed.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until chicken is done, about 25 to 30 minutes.
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and shred.
- Place chicken and rice into the pot and simmer until rice is hot.
