Chicken & Rice Soup
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Warm chicken soup is like a thermos full of love! This recipe calls for peas and carrots, but you can make this soup with any leftover cooked vegetables you have on hand – green beans, small cubes of sweet potatoes, or fresh corn right off the cob.
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Kate McMillan is chef and owner of Kate McMillan Catering. She is a cooking instructor and and has authored two books: The Lunch Box and Soup of the Day.
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“Freeze soup in individual portions so that you can defrost only what you need. This will save you time in the morning!
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Ingredients
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup long-grain white rice
- 2 halves skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 clove garlic, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, dill, or parsley OR 1 teaspoon minced fresh
Preparation
Combine the broth, rice and 2 cups water in saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add the chicken to the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Add the chicken to the saucepan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chicken, uncovered, until cooked through, 10-12 minutes. Using tongs, lift the chicken pieces out of the broth and put them on a plate. Set aside to cool.
Stir the carrot, celery, peas, garlic, and thyme into the saucepan. Raise the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are softened and the rice is tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper, and a squeeze or two of lemon juice.
Shred the chicken or cut it into bite-sized pieces, and add it back to the simmering soup. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Ladle servings of the soup into insulated containers as needed and close tightly to keep warm. Don't forget to pack a spoon!
Helpful hint: Vegetarians can omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. Throw in some more vegetables. You can also swap out the rice for fun pasta shapes.