Cozy Winter Chicken and Rice Soup (Printable Version)

A warming one-pot meal with tender chicken, fluffy rice, and vegetables perfect for chilly nights.

# Ingredient List:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
05 - 3 celery stalks, sliced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Rice

07 - 3/4 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Broth & Seasoning

08 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

→ Finishing Touches

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic, dried thyme, and dried rosemary. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken breasts, chicken broth, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
04 - Add the rinsed rice, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover with a lid. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and rice is tender.
05 - Remove chicken breasts from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces and return to the soup.
06 - Discard bay leaves. Stir in fresh chopped parsley and lemon juice if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve immediately while hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely one-pot magic, meaning you can have dinner ready while the house fills with the most incredible aroma.
  • The rice soaks up all that golden broth, so every spoonful tastes like it was made specifically for you.
  • Shredded chicken becomes impossibly tender, and there's something deeply satisfying about the simplicity of it all.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice—I learned this the expensive way when my first batch turned into wallpaper paste instead of soup.
  • The chicken cooks in the broth, so you don't need to brown it first; the whole point is keeping everything tender and simple.
  • Taste as you go near the end because broth brands vary wildly in saltiness, and you want to season for your own taste, not the label.
03 -
  • If your broth tastes too salty, add a diced potato while the soup simmers and it will absorb the excess—just remove it before serving.
  • Shredding the chicken with two forks instead of a knife keeps the pieces tender and lets them scatter beautifully throughout the broth instead of sitting in chunks.
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