Creamy Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

This Creamy Chicken Lemon Rice Soup is quick, comforting and soup-er easy! Rice cooks with a combination of carrots, celery and onions in broth and is thickened with lemon juice and eggs. Ladle into bowls on a chilly day or when you’re feeling a little (or a lot) under the weather. Yields 8 cups in 30 minutes.

Day one always starts with a tickle. You wake with a slightly dry throat and in severe denial because you don’t have the time to be sick. You think, was I snoring again? Or sleeping with my mouth open? Then later in the day swollen neck glands are present, you’ve got the classic chill and feeling a little achy. On day two: nose congestion sets in. By day three: make soup.

I’ve said it once before, soup has magic healing capabilities. And without fail, whenever my family or I start to feel a cold virus taking root in our system I fight back with soup. So it’s either homemade chicken noodle soup or this chicken and lemon rice soup. My mom has made me this soup before when I was feeling my absolute worst and I swear by the next day I started to feel back to normal again. Coincidence?

I took my Mom’s chicken lemon rice soup recipe and added a little carrot, celery and onion for more flavor and texture. Her recipe also says one VERY large can of chicken broth, two handfuls of long grain rice… umm what? I swear all her recipes are like this because she’s that good. I am not. Well at least not when it comes to soups. I need exact measurements. So I measured my way through her recipe and came out with a pretty delicious cold-fighting soup.

To Make This Creamy Lemon Rice Soup You Will Need:

• extra light olive oil
• carrot
• celery
• yellow onion
• parsley (both dried and fresh)
• dried oregano
• low-sodium chicken broth
• long grain white rice
• large eggs
• fresh lemon juice
• diced cooked chicken
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• fresh mint or parsley and crackers, for serving

First, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Then add 1/2 cup each finely diced carrot, celery and onion with a pinch of kosher salt, sautéing for 5 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Measure and add in 1/2 teaspoon both dried oregano and parsley flakes.

Pour in 2 quarts (8 cups) of low sodium chicken broth. If you have my cookbook (affiliate), my (unsalted) homemade chicken broth would work perfectly here. Just keep in mind you may need to season with more salt.

Stir, cover and bring the broth up to a rolling boil.

Measure and add in 1/3 to 3/4 cup of long grain rice. Depending on if you want a more brothy soup (add 1/3 cup) or one with lots of rice (add 1/2 to 3/4 cup).

Stir and replace the lid, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook the rice for twenty minutes, only stirring once or twice. The rice likes to stick to the bottom of the pot so scrape your spatula on the bottom of your dutch oven.

Meanwhile in a small bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the lid and turn off the heat under the pot. When the soup has stopped bubbling, remove a ladle of broth and s-l-o-w-l-y drizzle it into the egg/lemon mixture while stirring it constantly. This is called tempering. The egg mixture is what gives the soup a luscious creaminess just minus the cream.

Next pour the tempered eggs/broth back into the soup pot and stir. It will thicken up effortlessly.

Do not let this soup re-boil.

Lastly, add in 1 cup of diced cooked chicken breast, either leftover from roasting a whole chicken or using a store bought rotisserie. Season the soup with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Finally, this creamy chicken lemon rice soup is ready to serve! For more lemony flavor, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon very finely grated/minced lemon zest.

Serve immediately as it will thicken the longer it sits. However, adding hot water  when reheating will thin it out perfectly without losing any flavor.

Ladle this tasty chicken lemon rice soup into bowls and sprinkle with minced fresh mint or parsley and with crackers. Or a double-decker cheese grilled cheese sandwich. Because why not? Hey, when you’re sick you need nourishment in the form of cheese, bread and soup amiright?

I truly hope the cold virus skips all of you this year, but if it doesn’t? I’ve got the cure. Make yourself a batch of this chicken lemon rice soup!

Enjoy! And if you give this Chicken Lemon Rice Soup recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 8 servings

Creamy Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

This Creamy Chicken Lemon Rice Soup is quick, comforting and soup-er easy! Rice cooks with a combination of carrots, celery and onions in broth and is thickened with lemon juice and eggs. Ladle into bowls on a chilly day or when you're feeling a little (or a lot) under the weather. Yields 8 cups in 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely diced carrot
• 1/2 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 to 3/4 cup long grain white rice, see notes
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
• 1 cup (heaping) shredded leftover roast chicken, rotisserie or poached chicken
• minced fresh parsley, or mint, for serving
• soup crackers, for serving

Equipment

• Lodge EC7OD13 Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven, 7-Quart, Oyster White
• Simply Scratch: 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy

Instructions 

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat and add one teaspoon of olive oil.
• Sauté the diced carrots, celery and onion until softened, about 5 to 8 minutes.
• Then stir in the oregano, parsley and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and bring to a rolling boil.
• Once boiling, stir in the rice. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook the rice for 20 minutes; stirring only once or twice. Scrape the bottom of the pot as the rice likes to stick.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the lemon juice.
• When the rice is cooked, remove the lid and gather some of the broth into a ladle. While whisking, slowly pour the hot broth into the egg mixture to temper. Then pour the tempered egg/broth mixture into the soup and stir.
• Add in the shredded chicken, salt and pepper.
• Serve immediately with diced parsley or mint and with crackers!

Notes

• For a more brothy soup, use 1/3 cup of rice, for lots of rice use 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup.
• If the soup gets too thick and also, to reheat; add a little hot water to the soup or bowl to thin out without compromising any flavor.
• If looking for more lemon flavor, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon very finely grated or minced lemon zest.

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 147kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 69mg, Sodium: 704mg, Potassium: 361mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1448IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 33mg, Iron: 1mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Soups, Stews & Chilis

Cuisine: American