Easy Chicken One-Pot Soup (Printable version)

Tender chicken and rice simmered with fresh vegetables in a nourishing one-pot meal.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

→ Rice

06 - 2/3 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Liquids

07 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter

→ Seasonings & Herbs

09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

→ Finishing Touches

13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
14 - Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Heat olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery, sautéing for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken pieces and cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned on the exterior. Full cooking will occur during simmering.
04 - Stir in rice, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly to combine all components.
05 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and chicken is fully cooked through.
06 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in fresh parsley.
07 - Ladle into bowls and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • One pot means one cleanup, which is honestly half the battle on a busy weeknight.
  • The chicken stays impossibly tender while the rice soaks up all the broth's warmth and flavor.
  • It tastes like someone who loves you spent hours cooking, even though you'll be done in under an hour.
02 -
  • Rinsing the rice prevents a gummy, starchy soup; it's the difference between something silky and something that tastes like wallpaper paste.
  • Use low-sodium broth because the flavors will concentrate as everything simmers together, and you can always add more salt at the end but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into similarly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate and you don't end up with some dry and some undercooked.
  • If you're making this ahead, cook everything except the rice, then add the rice and final liquid just before serving so it stays fluffy instead of turning mushy.
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