Chicken Lemon Rice Soup, Creamy Style

This Creamy Chicken Lemon Rice Soup is speedy, comforting and soup-er straightforward! 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 old-school 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 everyone at the table or I start to feel a cold virus taking root in our system I fight back with soup. So it’s either kitchen-made 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 QUITE 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 flavor-packed cold-fighting soup.

To cook this Creamy Lemon Rice Soup Gather:

• 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) from-scratch chicken broth would work perfectly here. Simply 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 only 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 particularly 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 good 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?

HOW TO STORE Chicken LEMON RICE SOUP:

Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

HOW LONG WILL Chicken LEMON RICE SOUP LAST?

If stored properly, it should last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. See notes below on reheating.

CAN YOU FREEZE Chicken LEMON RICE SOUP?

I personally don’t recommend it. Soups thickened with egg usually reheat thin and watery.

HOW TO REHEAT Chicken LEMON RICE SOUP:

Whether your reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop, gather to add a bit more broth or water as the rice will absorb more liquids as it sit. Reheat slowly over low heat until hot.

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!