Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
- 2 cups fresh spinach (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, thyme, parsley, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the chicken breasts (or thighs) and the uncooked rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and the rice is tender.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
- Return the shredded chicken to the soup. Stir in the spinach, if using, and cook for 2–3 minutes, until wilted.
- Stir in the fresh parsley and lemon juice, if desired. Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.
Use rotisserie chicken to reduce the cooking time by about 10 minutes—simply add the shredded chicken during the last 5 minutes of cooking.If making the soup ahead of time, cook the rice separately and add it just before serving to prevent it from absorbing too much broth.Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.