No-Chop Chicken Soup with Rice
You can make this hearty, comforting Chicken Soup with Rice inspired by Maurice Sendak with zero chopping required. The recipe is so easy, you’ll want to make it every single month of the year!
Good To Know
- Mirepoix (“meer-PWAH”) is the French name for a mix of chopped onions, carrots, and celery that are the foundation of many recipes (including this soup!). Many grocery stores sell containers of pre-prepped mirepoix in the produce section, meaning you can skip any peeling and chopping. But if you’d like to practice your knife skills in this recipe, use one small onion, one medium carrot, and one stalk of celery, chopped into ½- to ¼-inch pieces, measuring about 2 cups total.
Equipment You'll Need
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
- Cutting board or large plate
- 2 forks
- Spoon
- Serving bowls
Measure Your Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 (8- to 10-ounce) container pre-prepped mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots, and celery)
- ½ teaspoon table salt (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
- ¾ cup long-grain white rice
- Juice squeezed from ½ lemon (about 2 tablespoons, optional)
- Fresh torn parsley or basil (for serving, optional)
Let's Cook!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 (8- to 10-ounce) container pre-prepped mirepoix, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepperIn a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mirepoix, salt, and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon until the vegetables are evenly coated. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon garlic powderAdd the Italian seasoning and garlic powder and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 8 cups chicken broth, 1 to 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat, ¾ cup long-grain white ricePour in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Use tongs to add the chicken thighs to the soup, then pour in the rice. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer (small bubbles will gently break all over the surface), 2 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to keep the rice from sticking, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Turn off the stove. Use clean tongs to transfer the chicken to a cutting board or large plate. Let the chicken cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes, then use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium-low. Cook until the soup is warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Juice squeezed from ½ lemonStir in the lemon juice, if using. Scoop a little bit of soup onto a spoon, let cool slightly, then taste. Stir in a little bit more salt and pepper as desired until the soup tastes just the way you like it. Turn off the stove.
- Fresh torn parsley or basilLadle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.