Classic Chicken and Rice Soup

Name: Classic Chicken and Rice Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice; 3 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into ½-inch slices; 3 ribs (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch slices; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of large fat pieces, patted dry; 6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cups (480 ml) water; 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme; 2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¾ cup (140 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed under cold water in a sieve until water runs mostly clear, drained; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A comforting, brothy soup with tender shredded chicken thighs, sweet carrots and celery, and plump long-grain rice, brightened with lemon and parsley. Everything cooks in one pot in about an hour.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 55 min
Total: 1 hr 10 min
Makes: About 10 cups (2.4 L), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice
3 medium (about 9 oz) (250 g) carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise if thick, and cut into ½-inch slices
3 ribs (about 5 oz) (150 g) celery ribs, cut into ½-inch slices
4 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of large fat pieces, patted dry
6 cups (1420 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups (480 ml) water
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
¾ cup (140 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed under cold water in a sieve until water runs mostly clear, drained
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot or stockpot with lid
Chef's knife and cutting board
Fine-mesh sieve (for rinsing rice)
Two forks or tongs (for shredding chicken)
Instant-read thermometer
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Use low-sodium chicken broth so you control the salt; the soup reduces slightly and the rice absorbs seasoning.
Rinse the rice before cooking to remove surface starch, which keeps the broth clear rather than cloudy.
Cut the carrots and celery to a similar size (about ½ inch) so they cook at the same rate.
This soup thickens as it sits because the rice keeps absorbing broth; see the storage notes for how to thin it.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Dice the onion into ½-inch pieces, slice the carrots and celery into ½-inch pieces, and mince the garlic.
- Keep the garlic separate from the other vegetables because it goes in later.
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Ready when: Vegetable pieces are roughly uniform in size.
Tip: Uniform pieces mean the carrots and celery become tender at the same time.
2
Prep chicken and rice
- Trim any large pieces of fat from the chicken thighs and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water for about 30 seconds, stirring with your hand, until the water runs mostly clear.
- Drain well.
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Ready when: Rinse water is only slightly cloudy.
3
Sauté the aromatics
- Set a 5- to 6-quart heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- When it shimmers, add the onion, carrots, and celery with the pepper.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 7 to 8 minutes until the onion is translucent and soft and the carrots have just begun to brighten.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft; garlic smells fragrant but is not browned.
Tip: If the vegetables start to brown, lower the heat. Browned bits will make the broth taste heavier than the clean, classic flavor you want.
4
Add liquid and chicken
- Pour in the chicken broth and water.
- Add the whole chicken thighs, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, which takes about 6 to 8 minutes, then immediately reduce the heat to low so the surface barely bubbles.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break across the surface before you lower the heat.
Tip: A hard boil makes chicken tough and the broth cloudy. Keep it at a gentle simmer.
5
Simmer the chicken
- Partially cover the pot and simmer gently for 18 to 20 minutes, until the thighs are cooked through.
- Check one by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part; it should read at least 175°F (80°C) for tender, easily shredded meat.
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Ready when: Thermometer reads 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part and the meat is no longer pink.
Tip: Thighs stay juicy at higher temperatures than breasts, so there is no rush to pull them out at 165°F (74°C).
6
Cook rice, shred chicken
- Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a cutting board.
- Stir the drained rice into the simmering soup, keep the heat at medium-low so it simmers gently, and partially cover.
- While the rice cooks, shred the chicken into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Let the rice cook 15 minutes in total, stirring once or twice so it doesn't stick to the bottom.
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Ready when: Rice grains are plump and tender with no hard white center when bitten, and carrots are fork-tender.
Tip: Don't add the rice earlier than this, or it will turn mushy and absorb too much of the broth.
7
Return chicken to pot
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot, along with any juices on the cutting board.
- Simmer 2 minutes over low heat to warm everything through.
- Remove and discard the bay leaves.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot throughout.
8
Finish and serve
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
- Taste and add more salt, a quarter teaspoon at a time, until the broth tastes savory and bright.
- If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of hot water or broth.
- Ladle into bowls and serve right away.
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Ready when: Broth tastes well seasoned and lively, not flat.
Tip: Add the lemon and parsley off the heat so they stay fresh-tasting and green.

Good to know

Tips

Keep the simmer gentle throughout; vigorous boiling toughens chicken and clouds the broth.
Rinse the rice, but don't skip the rest of the timing: adding it after the chicken is cooked keeps the grains intact.
Season in layers: a little salt in the pot, then adjust at the end, since low-sodium broth varies by brand.
For extra-rich flavor, brown the chicken thighs in the oil for 3 minutes per side before cooking the vegetables, then return them with the broth.

Make ahead

For best texture, make the soup through step 5 up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate the broth, vegetables, and whole chicken together. Reheat to a simmer, then continue with the rice (step 6). Fully cooked soup can also be made ahead; see storage.

Storage & reheating

Cool within 2 hours. Refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 4 days; the rice will absorb broth and thicken the soup, so thin with ½ cup (120 ml) water or broth per serving when reheating. Freeze for up to 2 months (rice will be softer). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Not recommended at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Substitutions

boneless, skinless chicken thighs → bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 lb / 900 g) or boneless skinless chicken breasts. For bone-in, simmer 25 to 30 minutes, then discard skin and bones before shredding. For breasts, simmer 15 to 18 minutes and pull at 165°F (74°C).
long-grain white rice → brown rice (¾ cup / 140 g) or small pasta. Brown rice needs about 35 to 40 minutes of simmering and an extra 1 cup (240 ml) water; small pasta such as orzo takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
dried thyme → 4 sprigs fresh thyme. Add with the broth and remove the stems before serving.
fresh lemon juice → 1 tsp apple cider vinegar. Adds similar brightness, with a slightly milder flavor.