Rice Soup Recipe

Rinse rice

Place the rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear (about 30–45 seconds). Drain well.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and trim any excess fat. If using breast, you can leave whole for poaching or dice into 1/2-inch pieces for shredded pieces later.

Prepare vegetables: finely chop onion, dice carrot and celery, mince garlic and ginger, and slice scallions. Chop herbs and set aside for garnish.

Sauté aromatics

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and cook 30–45 seconds more until aromatic.

Add rice and liquid

Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir for 1 minute to lightly toast and coat in the aromatics. Pour in the chicken broth and water, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Poach chicken

Nestle the whole chicken breast (or diced chicken pieces) into the simmering liquid. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, cover partially, and cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through — about 18–22 minutes for whole breasts (adjust to 12–15 minutes if small diced). Stir once or twice to prevent sticking.

Shred chicken (if applicable)

If you poached a whole breast, transfer it to a cutting board, let rest 2 minutes, then shred with two forks or dice small. Return shredded/diced chicken to the pot.

Season and finish

Stir in kosher salt, black pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or soy sauce as needed. If the soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup additional water or broth to reach desired consistency and warm through (2–3 minutes).

Ladle soup into bowls and top with sliced scallions and chopped cilantro or parsley. Sprinkle red pepper flakes if using and serve lime wedges on the side for squeezing over bowls.

Serve hot. Leftovers can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove; add a splash of water or broth if thickened.