Cozy Winter Chicken Rice Soup (Printable version)

Tender chicken, fluffy rice, and vegetables in a warming broth. One-pot comfort perfect for chilly winter nights.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Rice

07 - 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Broth & Seasoning

08 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

→ Finishing Touches

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Juice of 1/2 lemon, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
04 - Add the rinsed rice, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
05 - Remove chicken breasts from the pot and shred with two forks, then return the meat to the soup.
06 - Discard bay leaves. Stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice if using. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's genuinely one-pot, so the cleanup won't exhaust you after dinner.
  • The rice cooks right in the broth, absorbing all that savory goodness instead of tasting like an afterthought.
  • Shredded chicken means every spoonful has that tender, satisfying texture without requiring any knife skills at the table.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing of rice—it's the difference between silky broth and gluey soup, and it takes 30 seconds.
  • If your chicken is thicker than about an inch, pound it down a bit so it cooks through in the time the rice needs; uneven pieces mean someone's always biting into something either raw or rubbery.
03 -
  • Make a double batch and freeze half in individual containers; there's almost no extra work and future-you will feel incredibly organized.
  • Add the lemon juice right before serving rather than cooking it in—heat dulls the brightness, and you want that sharp little wake-up call in every bite.
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