Chicken Lemon Rice Soup
Similar to Chicken Noodle Soup, this Chicken Lemon Rice Soup is a cozy and comforting recipe full of hearty vegetables, chicken and a homemade lemony broth!
Servings 6 servings
Calories 270kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs
- 1 onion diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup short grain or Arborio rice
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place chicken and scraps from the outer layers and end of the onions, carrots and celery in a large stock pot. Season with salt and pepper, add bay leaves and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken and shred; then strain the chicken broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard the vegetable scraps.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken and rice, then return the broth to the stockpot and bring a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.
- Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with fresh parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
Recipe: This recipe is inspired by the Greek lemon chicken soup (Avgolemono), but it's not the same recipe because that one includes tempering an egg into the broth and also includes some butter and flour.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. The soup will stay fresh for about 4-5 days.
Make Ahead Tips: You can make the homemade chicken broth ahead of time and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use the broth, just thaw in the fridge overnight or for at least 4-6 hours.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
- Instead of short grain rice, you can use long-grain rice or brown rice. If you're using brown rice, be sure to add an extra 25 minutes to the cooking time though. You can also use potatoes, riced cauliflower, celery root or chopped zucchini for some grain free and/or low carb options.
- If you don't have thyme, feel free to use oregano, parsley, cilantro or other herbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 5245IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 1.4mg