Hi there, Tartlets! I’m kicking off my 2025 recipes with exactly what everyone needs right now: Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup.
Why is Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup the book-inspired recipe for Wintering?
Is there anything better than chicken soup when you’re not feeling well? Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times is all about slowing down and taking care of yourself when you hit a rough patch in life.
To me, that means treating yourself to afternoons spent on the couch in fluffy socks, covered with an equally fluffy blanket, and having lots of comfort food within easy reach.
Comfort food like Chicken and Rice Soup.
Yeah, sure, you can buy canned soup or soup from the prepared food section of grocery stores. But I seriously think one of the most comforting things is the smell of soup bubbling away on the stove. Especially if it’s a chilly February day.
This Chicken and Rice Soup is all about being cozy and comforting during the winter months.
What goes into Chicken and Rice Soup?
After the shitshow that is my diet between October and December, I am more than ready for a hearty helping of veggies, nutrients, and vitamins in the new year. It’s almost like my body craves clean, healthy eating.
Although Chicken and Rice Soup is by no means an official “detox” soup, it’s certainly a great way to move away from carb-laden comfort food to more nourishing meals that still feel like a warm hug.
Onions, carrots, and celery go into the soup pot, along with a trio of fresh herbs: fresh rosemary, fresh oregano, and fresh dill.
I admit to using store-bought, low-sodium chicken broth as the soup base, but I’ll pour in some homemade chicken stock if I happen to have it on hand.
Turmeric is added in for its anti-inflammatory properties and for some color, and the soy sauce and tomato paste give the soup some oomph.
Cooked basmati rice goes into the chicken soup instead of noodles, because, in my head, rice is slightly healthier than pasta.
I have no idea if that’s actually true. But, the theory comforts me (get it??). And, it makes for a different spin on the usual chicken noodle soup.
BYO Salt: Why I love Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup
Maybe it’s the fact that I’m in my early 40s or the fact that Mr Tart and I have been cooking at home so much over the past year as we work on anti-inflammatory diets – but I have a hard time with salt levels these days. So many canned and pre-packaged soups are way too salty for me. Same goes for restaurant soup.
One of the many things I love about my Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup is that there’s not a lot of salt in it. In fact, most of the sodium comes from the soy sauce added to the broth.
If you’re like me and are tired of drinking the ocean, follow my recipe below. The lower natural sodium allows the full-bodied flavors of the near-homemade broth and veggies to sing out, and I really adore the simple earthiness from the turmeric in the mix.
However, if you’re someone who loves things on the salty side, be sure to taste the soup before you pull it off the heat. You can always add additional seasonings to your taste at that time.
What do you serve with Chicken and Rice Soup?
Chicken and Rice Soup, like so many of my soups, salads, and curries, is a great recipe to make over the weekend. Ladle up a steaming bowl alongside some freshly baked Honey Challah Bread, Cheddar Cheese Scones, or Caraway Thyme Biscuits.
This soup would also pair great with a flaky Potato and Onion Knish, Chickpea Burgers with Mint Tahini Carrot Slaw, or Turkey, Fig, and Brie Grilled Cheese Sandwich.
And, keep in mind that this recipe for Chicken and Rice Soup is really just a guideline. You can throw all sorts of veggies into the soup pot. Turnips, parsnips, potatoes, and other root vegetables would work great in here.
You can also lighten it up for summertime with zucchini and fresh tomatoes. It’s your comfort dish, so you do you.
Finally, if you can’t get enough things chicken and rice, check out my Chicken and Rice Casserole (another great comfort food!) and my Halal-Inspired Chicken and Rice.
Comforting Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 large carrots, diced
- 4 large celery stalks, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 4-gram packet low sodium chicken bouillon seasoning
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 18 cups low sodium chicken broth (or, until your soup pot is almost full)
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice
Instructions
PREP INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop onion, carrots, and celery. Set aside.
- Chop rosemary and oregano. Set aside.
- Chop dill. Set aside.
- If cooking rice at this time, cook rice according to package instructions. Set aside.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, carrot, and celery. Let veggies cook, stirring regularly, until soft, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the rosemary, oregano, turmeric, bouillon seasoning, poultry seasoning, ground pepper, tomato paste, and soy sauce so all ingredients are combined.
- Lay the chicken breasts on top of the seasoned veggies, then add in the chicken broth until your soup pot is almost completely full.
- Bring chicken soup to a boil, then let simmer 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and shreds easily with a fork.
- Turn off the heat and remove the chicken from the pot. Shred the chicken on a plate, then return the shredded chicken to the pot, along with the cooked basmati rice.
- Stir the chopped dill into the pot, then taste the soup. Add salt and pepper, if desired, to your taste. Serve Chicken and Rice Soup while hot.
