Feel Good Chicken and Rice Soup
This Feel Good Chicken and Rice Soup recipe is a simple soup I made for my kids when they weren’t feeling well growing up. It’s easy to make, but has healing powers mixed with love for an absolutely delicious soup.
A Lovely Note from Teri
I might be an expert sandwich maker, but I’m also pretty fantastic at whipping up a soup. This feel good soup is packed with flavor, and it’s the perfect thing to have when you aren’t feeling well. It’s like the ultimate comfort food. I made it for my kids all the time growing up when they were sick. This is the kind of soup that truly warms the soul and heals the heart.
Homemade chicken broth is simply a must. I don’t have much in my freezer but I always have chicken stock. It is like liquid gold. Once you make your own, you will not go back! Plus, in a soup like this, it let’s your beautiful broth shine. With just a bit of rice to complement the broth, it’s the perfect amount to get a bit in every bite but still have a lovely, brothy soup.
The combination of the chicken and rice is so luscious. I love keeping the chicken in these slightly larger chunks so you get the perfect bite every time. And while I’m not often one to keep things in one pot, this is in fact a one pot meal! You’ll cook the chicken breast and rice in the broth, then add all of your other vegetables. It could not be simpler and it is just so delicious. Topped with a bit of freshly grated parmesan and you have the perfect bowl of slightly creamy chicken soup.
Ingredients for Feel Good Chicken and Rice Soup
- Chicken stock (here’s my quick recipe)
- White rice
- Chicken breast, skin-on and bone-in
- Carrot
- Celery ribs
- Yellow onion
- Frozen peas
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Parmesan
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Variations
I think this soup is lovely as is, but you could make some adjustments based on what you have on hand. Bone in skin on chicken thighs can also work in this recipe, but I don’t find that you get the same beautiful pieces as you do with the breast. For the rice, we used a long grain white rice, but you could also use basmati or wild rice for a wild rice soup variation.
In addition to onion, you could add just a bit of minced garlic if you would like. I find the soup doesn’t need any additional aromatics, but feel free to adjust to your taste.
For a bit of zest, you could add a squeeze of lemon juice to your soup.
How to Make Feel Good Chicken and Rice Soup
Simmer Chicken and Rice
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice and chicken breast. Reduce to medium-low to medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken breast when cooked and tender and set aside on a cutting board. Add the carrots, celery, and onions, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is cooked.
Shred Chicken and Simmer Soup
Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bone and shred the chicken to bite size pieces. Add the chicken, along with the frozen peas, back to the Dutch Oven. Increase heat to bring to boil. When it reaches a boil, immediately turn off the heat. Add about a half teaspoon salt and pepper. You can add more or less to taste.
Serve in bowls with a teaspoon or so of parmesan and garnish with chopped fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Storage and Reheating
Store this soup in an airtight container (I use mason jars) in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze this soup for up to three months. Make sure you allow the soup to come to room temperature before freezing.
To reheat, place the soup in a pot on the stove and reheat gently until warmed through.
Try these other soup recipes!
If you make this Rotisserie Chicken Soup recipe, be sure to rate and review the recipe to let me know what you think. And if you want to follow along, subscribe to my Substack, and head to Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest for more inspiration!
Feel Good Chicken Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Category: Soups
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Make this Feel Good Chicken and Rice Soup for anyone who needs to feel better!
Ingredients
- 9 cups chicken stock, warmed
- 3 tablespoons white rice
- 1 chicken breast, skin-on and bone-in
- 1½ cup carrots, chopped into ½-inch triangles
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- ¾ cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Kosher Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Parmesan, (optional to garnish)
- Fresh flat leaf parsley, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken breast. Reduce the heat to medium to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breast from the broth and set aside on a cutting board. Add the carrots, celery, and onions and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Meanwhile, remove the chicken from the bone and shred the chicken to bite size pieces. Add the chicken, along with the frozen peas, back to the Dutch Oven. Increase heat to bring to boil. When it reaches a boil, immediately turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in bowls with parmesan and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Note: If your chicken isn’t cooled and shredded at this point, lower the heat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 144
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 602.9 mg
- Fat: 3.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 17.8 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
- Cholesterol: 11.1 mg
Made this for my Mother in law over weekend and she loved it Thank you
Sometimes it’s just that you take the time to make something for someone that makes them “feel better” thanks for the inspiration ????
I’m making this for the 4th time this year. This time around, making it for my mother in law. Her husband passed away a month ago. She’s still feeling bad (so is my husband). I doubled the recipe, some for her, some for our family and leftovers to boot! I know everyone will “feel better” after eating this-it’s so dang good!
Fantastic recipe! It turned out great, and I’ll definitely be making it often. I used short-grain rice, and I loved the results!
Don’t get “gift box greed.” I’ve lost count of how many world-record runs I’ve ruined just because I wanted one more shiny box. Play it safe, stay in the center, and let the speed do the work!