Cozy Winter Chicken Rice Soup (Printable Version)

Tender chicken, fluffy rice, and vegetables in a warming one-pot comfort meal perfect for chilly winter evenings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Poultry

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

→ 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 Prepare:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, and 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, shred with two forks, and return the meat to the soup.
06 - Discard bay leaves. Stir in fresh parsley and lemon juice if using. Adjust seasoning as needed.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely hands-off once everything hits the pot, which means you can actually relax instead of hovering over the stove.
  • The rice absorbs all that savory broth while somehow staying tender, creating something between soup and comfort in a bowl.
  • Six servings means leftovers that taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
02 -
  • If you skip rinsing the rice, you'll end up with a cloudy, slightly gluey broth instead of something clear and elegant—learned this one the hard way.
  • Don't overcook the chicken if you can help it; even two or three minutes past done turns it from tender to dry, so set a timer and actually use it.
  • The soup thickens as it sits because the rice continues absorbing liquid, so if you're making it ahead, you might need to add a splash more broth when reheating.
03 -
  • Keep your chicken at room temperature for ten minutes before cooking so it cooks more evenly and stays moist in the center.
  • If your broth tastes too salty, a raw potato added and cooked for five minutes will absorb some of that excess sodium—remove it before serving.
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