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Lemon chicken and rice soup is easy and requires minimal preparation. This comforting chicken soup has such bright flavor thanks to the lemon and herbs.
I am a year-round soup kind of girl, I can have a large bowl of soup any day of the year and be happy. This means I have so many delicious soup recipes up my sleeve that I know you’ll love, such as mushroom barley soup, avgolemono and yayla corbasi (Turkish yogurt soup).
This easy chicken and rice soup recipe is another favorite of mine that I cannot wait to share with you! Follow along to learn how to make this nourishing and hearty soup using wholesome and real ingredients.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy: If you’re looking for an easy soup recipe that’s comforting and ready in less than an hour, this recipe is for you. It’s as easy as chop, add and cook!
- Delicious: Thanks to the spices, herbs and fresh lemon juice, this soup is ridiculously delicious!
- Feel good: This soup is like a hug in a bowl, it’s comforting and perfect for any day.
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Rice Soup
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil works well here, but you can use butter or any other kind of oil if desired.
- Onion: Use white or yellow onion, and chop it finely.
- Garlic: I use 3 cloves of garlic, but feel free to use more or less.
- Carrot: Use a couple of carrots and dice them.
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast, but boneless skinless chicken thighs work too,
- Rice: It’s best to use short or medium grain rice such as arborio. Long grain rice such as basmati won’t work well in this recipe.
- Stock: Both chicken stock and vegetable stock work for this recipe.
- Herbs: You can use a variety of herbs including parsley and dill.
- Lemon: Freshly squeezed lemon juice adds some brightness to the soup. If fresh lemons aren’t available, bottled lemon juice works, too.
How To Make Chicken And Rice Soup
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add in the garlic and carrots and cook for a few minutes.
- Slice the chicken breast into pieces and add it to the onion and carrots. Saute until it’s slightly golden.
- Season with salt and pepper, then add the rinsed rice to the chicken.
- Stir to combine, then add the stock and bring it to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the chicken and rice are completely cooked.
- Once the soup is ready, add in the lemon juice and herbs. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Serve warm with some toasted crusty bread.
Variations
- Vegetables: Add mushrooms, zucchini or celery to this soup if desired.
- Spices: I only used salt and pepper in this recipe so the lemon and herbs shine. However, you can use other spices such as cumin, coriander and oregano.
- Herbs: Use dill weeds instead of fresh dill. You can also use other greens including spinach or kale.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken and rice soup is a complete meal on its own. I love serving it with some bread such as garlic knots, sourdough or focaccia and a simple side dish such as Mediterranean salad, fattoush or a quick Turkish tomato salad.
Leftovers
Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium high and stir frequently.
To freeze chicken and rice soup, let the soup cool completely and transfer it into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, you can either let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight or submerge it in water until thawed, then reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are various ways for you to add more flavor to the soup including using chicken or vegetable stock instead of water, or adding more garlic and herbs.
Yes, add leftover cooked rice directly to the soup with the stock as cook as instructed.
Yes, add it to the soup with the rice and keep in mind that cooking time might be less since the chicken is already cooked.
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Lemon Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 carrot , diced
- 1 chicken breast, boneless skinless
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup short grain rice, such as arborio
- 6 cups stock , Use chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley , chopped
- 1 lemon, juice of
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Cut the chicken breast into 1 1/2 inch pieces and rinse the rice a few times.
- Saute the onion until translucent,. Add the garlic and carrot and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces and saute for a few minutes until they are slightly golden. Season with salt and pepper and give the mixture a good stir.
- Add in the rice and stir to combine. Add the stock and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken and rice are completely cooked.
- Add the chopped dill and parsley followed by the lemon juice. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- Serve this soup with some bread such as focaccia.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat and stir frequently.
- You can leave out the dill or use dill weeds if desired.
- If using cooked rice, add it to the soup with the stock.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was perfect for this cold weather!
The tangy lemon flavor combined with the tender chicken and hearty rice made for an incredibly flavorful and satisfying meal. It’s definitely a recipe I’ll be making again and again!
Such a comforting combination. I love how the lemon makes it feel that bit lighter but the rice and chicken make it a full meal.
Such a delicious and comforting soup! Definitely perfect for the weather we are currently having. I love how easily it comes together.