We’ve been in soup mode 24/7 since the cold weather really kicked in. And when I say “we” I mean my husband, my youngest child, and myself. The older two kids will.not.eat.soup. I think they’re crazy. They’ll eat steamed clams and ice cream that fell on the floor but they won’t eat soup! What in the what? I thought kids love the idea of slurping. Soup is fun to eat and it is DELICIOUS. They’ll eat it if I separate the main components out – like chicken on one part of their plate, rice on another, veggies elsewhere. But God forbid if there’s any broth! So they’re basically hipsters without realizing it with their trendy deconstructed meals. Or maybe hipsters are like picky toddlers? That’s something I’ll need to think more on…
But clearly ⅔ of my children are nutty (I knew that without this soup issue, though, to be honest).
The rest of us in The Catholic Mama household, however, cannot get enough of it. And you all get to benefit from my current obsession of an old favorite: Chicken and rice soup.
I threw a picture of this up on my story on Instagram (come, follow me there!) and I got so much feedback from it, I knew I needed to share the recipe.
I like getting creative with flavors and pairings, but, BUT, it would be sheer folly to ignore the fundamentals of cooking, including soup. And this recipe that I’m sharing on the blog today is a fundamental.
Best of all? It is a one-pot dish. A lot of soups are but not all. This one is (unless you want to use the best trick for shredding chicken you probably didn’t know about. More on that below). So enjoy this simple, comforting, and delicious soup that the whole family will love digging into, that is, the whole family except for any ridiculous children who hate soup.
Kitchen Hack!
Whenever you have a recipe that calls for shredded meat – chicken, pork, beef, whatever – here is a super-duper time saver. Don’t bother shredding it with a fork! Grab your electric hand mixer, turn it on to low, and just start working on the meat. It shreds up perfectly in a matter of seconds.
Also, note on this recipe, I use both chicken stock and bone broth. I like the taste of bone broth but find it’s a bit much just on its own and like to cut it with regular stock. If you don’t have bone broth handy or can’t find it, just sub in extra chicken stock.
Serve this with a crusty loaf of bread and some butter, and you’ve got yourself a comforting, homey meal for lunch or dinner, and like most soups, it just improves with age and becomes more like stew once the rice has really soaked up the broth. So make it ahead or enjoy it as leftovers. Yum!
The Best Chicken and Rice Soup
This simple, one-pot soup can be jazzed up with homemade bone broth or use storebought. Either way, it'll be delicious.
Ingredients
- 2 TBS olive oil extra virgin
- 1 TBS butter from grass-fed cows
- 1 onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 1 quart bone broth turkey, beef, or chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast boneless, skinless
- salt and pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
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In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, add butter and olive oil.
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Once hot, add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften, 5 minutes.
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Add rice and toss to coat. Cook 1-2 minutes.
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Add stock, bone broth, and chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper and dried seasonings. Bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down to medium, cover, and simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
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Remove chicken to a bowl. With an electric hand mixer, shred the chicken. Return chicken to the pot and heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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Ladle soup into serving bowls and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve and enjoy!
