This soup is boring.
I don’t mean it isn’t tasty—it certainly is—but what I mean is that it’s very normal. So normal, it’s boring. In the most comfortable and cozy way possible. Kinda like how your favorite movie that you’ve seen 100 times is boring. The way a Friday night with pizza and beer is boring. The way your comfiest jammies are boring. Comfort food boring.
I like boring.
I’ve been eating this soup since I was a wee Cass. I’ve been making it since I was a slightly-less wee Cass. This was definitely a standard in my house growing up. Whenever we had a roasted chicken or turkey, we knew the next day was going to be chicken (or turkey) rice soup. I can guarantee that making this soup with my Mama was where I learned the joy and simplicity of a mirepoix. The combo of onions, celery and carrots sautéed a little bit of fat (in this case, olive oil) is just pure magic. You pretty much can’t go wrong when you start a soup with such great aromatics.
If you are low on cooked chicken, you can buy one of those rotisserie chickens from the store and use that meat. No one will ever know, I promise.
Chicken Rice Soup
This is a great day-after-Thanksgiving dish that'll feed a crowd. Double or triple it and you'll have enough to feed a pretty large family.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 large stalks celery, diced
- 3 large carrots, sliced into thin coins
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup brown rice
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add in onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add in mushroom, salt and pepper and cook until mushrooms have released some of their liquid, about 3 minutes.
- Add in chicken, bay, sage, rosemary, oregano and broth.
- Bring to a boil, add in rice, reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes or until rice is cooked and veggies are soft.
- Remove bay leaves before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 180Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 1023mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 16g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
What’s your favorite “boring” comfort food?
I have made three soups in my life….and its been a semi-long life. Soup in a can sucks and the three random recipes I have tried sucked just as bad. I have learned…..recipes from Wholefully and Bless This Mess never let me down, so I came exploring…..surely one of you has a good chicken and rice soup recipe! And good is not even close to how yummy this soup was. Dinner was a smashing success….Mr. Picky had two bowls FULL! (That’s a major compliment too!) Thanks for the keeper recipe and thank your mommy too! Happy day! PS…Chocolate is the best boring comfort food…always!
oooh this soup looks really good! I have been in a the mood for chicken soup lately. Weather is getting colder in my neck of the woods and this would totally hit the spot. Will give this soup a go this weekend 🙂 thanks for the recipe!
oh and I like meatloaf with mashed potatoes..is that boring? it’s a fantastic comfort food.
Mmmm! Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are so good. Have you see the “cupcakes” people make out of them? Cook meatloaf in a muffin tin then pipe on mashed potato “frosting”. Very cute!
no, I had not seen that but what an awesome idea! I have seen the meatloaf cakes though, so I suppose why not cupcake size too. Well that’s another idea for sure. Goodness, sure could use some yummy food in this dark and cold weather. hmm, maybe I trip to the supermarket is in store for me today..hehe