Chicken Soup with Rice
The rice is cooked in a different pot, which is the only reason there is still soup in the bowl on day two.
Total: 55 minYield: 6 servingsMethod: Stovetop
In this recipe
Why the rice cooks separately
Rice keeps absorbing for as long as there is liquid around it. Cooked in the pot it will taste right for about twenty minutes, and then it will not — the grains swell, the broth disappears, and what was soup at dinner is a solid mass by morning.
Cooking it separately and spooning it into the bowl costs one extra pan and solves the problem completely. It also lets you keep leftovers as actual soup.
Ingredient notes
- Bone-in thighs
- The bones and skin give the broth body that boneless meat cannot. Brown them first — that fond is a large part of the finished flavor.
- The broth
- Low-sodium, because it reduces slightly and because the chicken adds its own salt. You can always season at the end.
- Lemon juice
- Added off the heat at the very end. Simmered, the brightness cooks away and you are back to a flat soup.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The soup turned into a solid mass | The rice was cooked in the pot. | Cook it separately and combine in the bowl. Loosen what you have with hot broth. |
| The broth tastes thin | Boneless chicken was used, or the thighs were not browned. | Use bone-in thighs and brown them properly before the liquid goes in. |
| It tastes flat despite seasoning | No acid. | Add the lemon juice off the heat. It changes the soup more than another pinch of salt will. |
| The vegetables are mushy | They simmered for the full 30 minutes cut too small. | Cut the carrots into rounds rather than dice so they survive the cooking time. |
Storage and reheating
Store the soup and rice in separate containers, refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat to 165°F (74°C), the USDA safe temperature for leftovers.
The soup freezes well for up to 3 months without the rice. Cook fresh rice when you serve it.
Chicken Soup with Rice
Bone-in chicken thighs simmered in broth with carrot and onion, shredded back in, with the rice cooked separately so it never turns the pot to porridge.
- Chicken
- Main Dish
- Stovetop
Cook’s checkpoint
- Frying oil
- 350°F / 175°C
- Chicken, thickest part
- 165°F / 74°C
Use a food thermometer. Color and time alone don’t confirm poultry is done.
Ingredients
For the soup
To finish
Instructions
Notes
- Bone-in thighs give the broth far more body than breast meat. The bones are doing real work here.
- Keep the rice separate if you expect leftovers.
Cooking Mode
Questions
- Can I use rotisserie chicken?
- Yes, but add it at the end rather than simmering it, and use a well-made broth — you lose the body that browning bone-in thighs would have added.
- Brown rice instead of white?
- It works and holds its texture better. Cook it separately as well, and allow around 40 minutes rather than 15.
- How do I make it thicker?
- Mash a few of the cooked carrots against the side of the pot. It thickens the broth slightly without flour or cream.
