Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
This chicken and brown rice soup is very easy to make and combines fresh herbs with rotisserie chicken for a comforting flavor. Gluten and dairy free, it's the perfect cozy soup.
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 456kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped or about 10 baby carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup brown rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bouquet garni - a few sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary tied together with kitchen twine
- 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1-2 cups water
- 1 rotisserie chicken meat, lightly chopped *
- fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large, heavy pot add 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, shallots, chopped celery, carrots and kosher salt. Stir occasionally until slightly softened and fragrant, making sure the garlic doesn't burn, about 5-6 minutes. Add the rice, bay leaf, and bouquet garni and stir to combine everything. Then pour in 5 cups of chicken broth + 1 cup of water, bring to a low simmer, and cover with a lid.
- Cook for 35 minutes covered, then check to see that the rice has cooked through. Remove the bouquet garni and add chopped rotisserie chicken. At this point, if the soup is too thick for you, add another cup of water or broth depending on how strong you like the broth to be. I find 5 cups of broth and 2 cups of water to be a delicious combination without being too watered down.
- Bring everything to a simmer again and season with more kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Serve warm or cover and store in the fridge till ready to use. The soup will thicken with time, so add more water and broth to thin out to your liking before serving.
Notes
- When looking for a rotisserie chicken, I pick one without any MSG added, otherwise known as a "naked chicken". You can typically find these at Sprouts, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, and HEB. They will just have salt and pepper, or nothing at all.
- This soup thickens with time so you may need to add more broth or water to thin it for leftovers.
- Your bouquet garni can contain whatever your personal favorite herbs are, but my favorites are parsley, thyme, and rosemary.
- For a migraine friendly stock or broth (without MSG), see the details in this post.
Nutrition
Serving: 12oz | Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 1746mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3880IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg