If you're feeling a little under the weather this homemade Chicken and Rice Soup made with love will soothe the soul and that sore throat
Having a cold is the worst. Especially if the weather isn't very nice.
It's rainy and yucky outside in New Orleans, and I have a lingering cough and a stopped up nose.
Minus the fact that I sound funny when I talk and I didn't get much sleep last night because I was coughing up my lungs, it's really not too bad for one reason: it gives me an excuse to enjoy Chicken and Rice Soup
I mean, how could I feel bad after eating a warming, soothing bowl of deliciousness?
[clickToTweet tweet="Not feeling so great? Try homemade Chicken and Rice #Soup to soothe the soul + that sore throat" quote="Not feeling so great? Try homemade Chicken and Rice #Soup to soothe the soul + that sore throat"]
And those heart-shaped carrots bring a smile to my face with every bite. #easilyamused
Seriously though... Chicken and Rice Soup is so perfect for when you don't feel well.
First, it's packed with nutrients ~ carrots offer a hefty dose of beta carotene which supports your immune system, onions and garlic have anti-inflammatory powers, celery is hydrating and also has vitamin A as well as vitamin K.
Another benefit of chicken and rice soup is that it can help soothe your sore throat as well as ease your congestion.
Soup is also hydrating, and it can be easy to forget to keep up with drinking water throughout the day when you feel crummy.
I use {brown and wild} rice in my soup because I always liked Chicken and Rice Soup better as a child. Plus, rice is acceptable for pretty much anyone to eat {making this a pretty allergy-free meal}. If you really love pasta, you can use pasta in its place. But please use whole wheat or whole grain pasta instead of that refined junk.
I decided to cut the carrots into heart shapes because why not? It took an extra 10 minutes, and it made me happy. It's not imperative that they are heart-shaped but it does give it more of a "made with love" touch. And love surely has to be a powerful cold-fighter, right? I think so.
I saw the idea on Pinterest. I feel like pictures do it much more justice than if I were to try to write out how to cut them. Click here for a slideshow. I promise, once you do two carrots, the other 4 are pretty easy. And it's so worth it
Now, just to warn you, this requires a little bit more than your average 30 minute meal. It's not really hard, but there a few steps and it takes some time {about 2:30 to 3 hours to cook start to finish}. You obviously aren't working the whole time, but it's not an easy weeknight meal.
It's perfect for a weekend activity or for a day off {you can totally stock your freezer with individual containers of Chicken and Rice Soup, and you'll love yourself every time you don't feel well and need this restoring soup}.
Let's break down how to make this soup, so you can see just how doable it is and how you are using every single ingredient to its full potential {no waste here!}:
First, you'll cook the chicken and make the broth base... Take the chicken out of the package and discard any of the juices and stuff inside the cavity. Don't bother rinsing the chicken because it's a waste of time and can potentially cause cross contamination in your kitchen {see here for more}. Put the chicken and some water in a big soup pot and start cooking.
Meanwhile, you'll start getting the veggies ready... Make sure you wash them really really well. You won't be discarding any veggie scraps; you're using them to make an extra flavorful broth. So peel all your veggies and add their peels, skins, etc. to the chicken & water. Seriously, make sure you use all the veggie scraps: onion & garlic skins {there are tons of antioxidants in there!}, carrots peels, celery tops, etc. Toss in a few herbs and spices, and let that simmer until the chicken is cooked. It should take about an hour.
Strain the broth and return the broth to the pot. Set the chicken aside to cool a little.
Add all the chopped veggies to the broth back in the big soup pot plus a few extra cups of water for good measure. Bring to a boil reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, take all the chicken off the bones {you should get about 4 cups chicken}, and chop the chicken into soup sized pieces.
{At this point, I took the chicken bones and the leftover veggie scraps and made some broth in my Crock-Pot. Like said, no wasting here!}
Stir the rice into the simmering soup, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Add more water if necessary.
If you hate to waste and want to get all the benefits of the broth, veggies, and extra love added into this homemade soup, then you'll be obsessed with this soup {I sure am!}
Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken 3-4 pound
- 16 cups filtered water divided
- 3 medium onions
- 6 medium carrots
- 4 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 TBSP peppercorns
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs parsley
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/4 tsp salt divided
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup brown rice or wild rice
Instructions
- Take chicken out of package and remove giblets and anything inside cavity. Add to a very large stock pot or Dutch oven. {Don't bother rinsing it}. Pour 12 cups water over chicken and turn pot to medium heat.
- Peel the onions and add onion skins and any scraps of onion to the pot. Dice the onions. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, peel carrots and add peels to stock pot. Cut into heart shapes if desired. Set aside.
- Trim celery and add ends and leaves to stock pot. Dice celery and set aside.
- Peel garlic and add skins to stock pot. Mince garlic and add any scraps to stock pot. Set aside minced garlic.
- Add peppercorns, thyme, parsley, rosemary, bay leaf, and 1/4 tsp salt to stock pot. Bring the water to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, partially covered. Let cook until the chicken is done.
- Strain the mixture with a fine-mesh sieve and transfer the broth back to the soup pot. Add the reserved veggies {onions, carrots, celery, garlic} and the remaining 4 cups water, remaining teaspoon salt, black pepper, and cayenne to the pot, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, pick the chicken off the bones and chop into pieces. Stir chicken into the pot.
- When the veggies are tender, stir the rice into the pot. Stir well and simmer for 30-40 minutes until rice is done, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Notes
Meme
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Regan @ Cabot says
Oh no! Feel better soon 😉
Meme says
Thanks! Chicken soup has those magical powers that helped me feel better
Sonja Bamburg says
Ha you ever frozen this soup? If so, did it freeze well?
Sonja Bamburg says
*Have
Meme says
Yes! It freezes perfectly! Just thaw in the fridge or at a low power in the microwave for a few minutes. My favorite way to reheat is on the stove with a little extra water or broth. Enjoy!!