This really is the best Chicken and Rice Soup Ever! At least out of all the ones I’ve ever tried.
What makes it so over-the-top-amazing? Two things in particular.
1. Rather than buying chicken stock, we just cook a whole chicken in water and that becomes the broth. We need cooked chicken anyway for the soup, why waste the flavorful water that the chicken simmers in?? So it has a super, SUPER simple homemade stock as the base.
2. We add lemon. Can I just tell you how much better this soup gets when you add the bright lemon??? It completely transforms it and brings so much extra flavor and depth to the table. Just like this recipe, the citrus makes a HUGE difference!
It’s just the perfect soup. It has everything a soup should have. Comfort, amazing flavor, the perfect broth consistency, everything.
You may be thinking, wait…it’s 80 degrees outside. Why are we talking about soup?
Well I am a firm believer that soup can and should be eaten all year ’round because soup is one of the best things in the world. If I could only eat soup during Fall and Winter I would not be a happy camper. But here is why this soup is so perfect for spring and summer – it is light and bright (unintentional rhyme).
It’s definitely not a heavy soup in the first place, but when you add the lemon it just adds this huge punch of brightness that makes this soup completely appropriate for warmer months :).
It’s the lemon in this soup that gives it that unique flavor and makes it the most addicting soup EVER! After I finished photographing these yummy bowls of goodness, I sat there eating spoonful after spoonful out of the pot for about 15 minutes. My intention was just to have one spoonful. I’m telling you. Addicting.
I have to tell you a story about what happened while I was making this, though. I had already simmered the chicken for 45 minutes and taken ALL the meat off ALL the bones. The bones were busy simmering for another 20 minutes in the pot and my beautifully shredded chicken was laying nicely and innocently on my cutting board next to the stove. I was sitting on my couch, finishing up this blog post when I heard a few little noises coming from the kitchen. I stood up to see Boone (our dog) polishing off the last of the shredded chicken. He literally ate every. Single. Last. Piece. An ENTIRE chicken’s worth of meat. And it was a big chicken, guys. I was SO MAD. I ended up driving to the grocery store right down the street and buying a rotisserie chicken. I shredded that for the meat portion of this soup. But it was only about half the size of my original chicken.
I am still quite upset with him.
Actually that’s not true. I was un-mad at him pretty quickly afterwards because he is so dang cute. Don’t judge me. When you are married without kids your pets become your children.
You really need to make this soup! It is SO yummy!!
PrintThe Best Chicken and Rice Soup
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 mins
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (either bought in pieces or bought whole and butchered at home)
- 4 carrots, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup uncooked rice (I used wild rice blend, any rice will work)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup cold 2% milk
- 1 1/2 lemons, juiced
Instructions
- Add your chicken to a large pot and cover with water, I used 12 cups
- Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 45 minutes
- Remove the chicken and, using a fork, pull the meat off and shred it
- Add the bones back into the water and boil for another 20 minutes
- Put your rice on the stove to cook in a separate pot according to the package directions
- Meanwhile, prep your carrots, celery, garlic, onion, and thyme
- Remove the bones and discard. Run a sieve through the water several times and get out any small bones or pieces of chicken that are still in the water
- Add the vegetables and thyme into the water and bring to a boil
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes
- Add the cold milk into your soup. While the soup is heating back to a simmer, skim the fat off the top using a spoon and discard
- Melt 1/4 cup of butter in the microwave and whisk in 1/4 cup flour until it forms a thin paste
- Add your chicken and rice to the simmering soup
- Whisk in the butter/flour mixture and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes, or until thickened slightly
- Remove from the heat and add the juice from 1 1/2 lemons (more to taste)
- Stir in 3 teaspoons salt and 1/2 – 1 teaspoon pepper. Taste and add any extra seasonings you think the soup needs
Yum, this really does sound like the best!! I’ve seen a few people adding lemon to chicken soup lately and it seriously sounds like the best thing ever, so bright and fresh! I need to try it!
Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel recently posted…Cats Can Eat Healthy, too!
Thanks, Jess! It really does add SO much to the soup!
Chicken soup is the ultimate comforting dish! Love the homemade stock with lemon. It looks delicious! Aaw, oh no about Boone eating all the chicken. That means it was yummy though :)
Thanks, Kelly! It really is so comforting!! Ugh, I know. Haha yes I guess I could see it as a compliment that he wolfed the whole thing down in 3 seconds.
Chicken noodle soup has always been my favorite and my grandmother made the best. Now that I can’t have gluten I make her recipe but use rice instead. She also simmered the whole chicken, but I’m definitely adding lemon next time I make it! I love lemon and I bet it it’s delicious in chicken soup. I too eat soup all year round no matter how hot it is. I had to laugh about Boone eating all the chicken – my childhood dog, Toby did stuff like that on many occasions. We used to call him Houdini – he could literally get into anything if we weren’t watching him!
Keri @ Fashionable Foods recently posted…Fennel and Orange Salad
I love that she simmers the whole chicken too! It really does make it so much better. Yes, you should totally add lemon next time! I am telling you…it makes the soup so bright and adds delicious flavor. Haha, Houdini – I love it. Boone needs to take over that nickname.
Boone! Oh no! That is just the worst. I bet he was verrrry full after eating all that chicken. But hey, he ate it all so you know it tasted good and you’re a good cook! I love chicken and rice soup. This recipe is fantastic!
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely recently posted…Meet Our Baby Chicks!
★★★★★
Ugh, it was the worst. Haha, yes his stomach was bulging afterwards! Silly pup. Thanks, Natalie! I really think you would love it :).
Oh I’m totally craving this soup for breakfast right now! :) Chicken and rice is one of my favorites! And I love that you didn’t use regular chicken stock. My Grandma always used to make her chicken noodle soup the same way and it really is the best!
Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Banana Bread Granola
Breakfast, lunch, dinner – I crave it for everything :)!! I love that your grandma made it the same way – old family recipes are always the best.
I love chicken soup – such a comforting and delicious recipe! This looks divine, Annie!
Jess @ whatjessicabakednext recently posted…Golden Oreo Cupcakes
Thanks, Jess! Sooo comforting and yummy :).