Chicken Rice Soup Recipe

Mise en place

Trim and cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Peel and dice carrots, dice celery, finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, slice the ginger if using, and thinly slice the scallions. Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve under cold water until the rinse runs mostly clear; drain well.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.

Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots begin to soften, about 5–7 minutes. Season lightly with a pinch of the salt to help draw moisture.

Stir in the minced garlic and sliced ginger; cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Add the raw chicken pieces to the pot and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, just until the edges turn opaque. You do not need to fully cook the chicken here because it will simmer in the broth.

Pour in 8 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the rinsed rice, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover partially with a lid (leave a small gap to prevent overboiling) and simmer gently for 18–22 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent rice from sticking. Cook until the rice is tender and chicken is cooked through (internal pieces reach 165°F / 74°C). If the soup thickens too much, add up to 1/2 cup extra water or broth to reach desired consistency.

Taste the soup and adjust seasoning: add more salt or up to another 1/4 teaspoon black pepper if needed. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme stems.

Stir in the fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley and sliced scallions. If using, sprinkle red pepper flakes. Warm through for 1 minute off the heat so the herbs remain bright.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot. Offer additional lemon wedges, chopped parsley and salt/pepper at the table.