Description
Hearty chicken and rice soup delivers comfort in a bowl, perfect for chilly evenings. Warm, nourishing ingredients blend seamlessly, inviting you to savor each spoonful of this classic, soul-satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 lbs (680 g) chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsps unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp chili flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese
- Black pepper
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Seasoning Preparation: Blend diced chicken with kosher salt, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, paprika, and chili flakes in a mixing bowl, allowing flavors to harmonize while prepping other components.
- Vegetable Foundation: Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onions, carrots, and celery with a salt pinch until softened and translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Aromatics and Protein: Introduce minced garlic for 30 seconds, then add seasoned chicken. Cook until meat turns completely opaque, incorporating fresh thyme and rosemary.
- Flavor Development: Dust the mixture with flour, toasting for 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw taste and create a robust flavor base.
- Liquid Integration: Pour chicken broth, half and half, soy sauce, and hot sauce into the pot. Blend thoroughly to create a smooth, cohesive liquid foundation.
- Rice Cooking: Add uncooked rice, stirring evenly. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, simmering 15-20 minutes while periodically stirring to prevent rice from sticking.
- Consistency Management: Adjust liquid volume with additional chicken broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.
- Final Seasoning: Taste and fine-tune with salt, black pepper, and hot sauce according to preference.
- Presentation: Serve piping hot, garnishing with shaved Parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, and chopped parsley for an elegant finish.
Notes
- Optimize Chicken Seasoning: Marinate chicken with spices for at least 10 minutes to enhance flavor penetration and develop deeper taste profiles.
- Vegetable Sautéing Technique: Cook onions, carrots, and celery slowly to release natural sugars, creating a rich, caramelized flavor base for the soup.
- Flour Toasting Trick: Carefully toast flour to eliminate raw taste and develop a nutty, complex undertone that elevates the overall soup quality.
- Rice Cooking Precision: Monitor rice carefully during simmering to prevent overcooking and maintain perfect texture, adding liquid as needed for ideal consistency.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg