The BEST Chicken and Rice Soup
This really is one of the best, most flavorful chicken and rice soups we've ever tasted! And with the help of rotisserie chicken (or leftover chicken), it's super easy too!
Servings: 12 generous servings
Calories: 164kcal
Ingredients
- For the rice:
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine (or other long-grain) rice
- For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 medium shallots finely chopped
- 4 medium stalks celery quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 3 medium cloves garlic finely minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 10 cups low sodium chicken broth more if needed
- 12 ounces carrots thinly sliced (halved lengthwise if large)
- 2 medium-size bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more, to taste
- For finishing:
- 2 cups diced rotisserie or leftover chicken
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1-2 cups tightly packed fresh spinach finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- For the rice:
- Cook jasmine rice according to package instructions (or according to the method above in Café Tips) and set aside to cool.
- For the soup:
- Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot until the butter is melted and bubbly. Add the chopped onion, shallots and celery and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until veggies are softened. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the chicken broth, carrots, bay leaves, turmeric, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. Try one of the carrot slices. If it’s not nice and tender cook for another 3-5 minutes or until tender (the size of your carrot slices will determine how low it takes to cook).
- To finish:
- Remove the bay leaves then add the rotisserie chicken, rosemary, cooked rice and finely chopped spinach (if using). Cover and allow the soup to sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper, if needed. If soup is too thick, add more chicken broth. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.
Nutrition
Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 470mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4835IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1mg