Lemon chicken and rice soup is a flavorful soup that's made from just a few simple ingredients. This soup makes a great light lunch or dinner, and it's perfect for when people are under-the-weather.
Craving a comforting yet vibrant soup that's easy to prepare? Look no further than lemon chicken and rice soup!
This tasty soup has plenty of flavor thanks to the perfect balance of tender chicken, fluffy rice, and a touch of bright and zesty lemon juice. With just a handful of everyday ingredients, it comes together in a snap, making it ideal for busy weeknights or for when you need a nourishing pick-me-up.
Whether you're seeking a light lunch option or a soothing dinner to combat a cold, this versatile soup is sure to become a new favorite!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: The butter is optional, but it adds extra richness to the soup. The nutritional information includes the addition of the butter.
- To make dairy free: Simply omit the butter.
- Rice: arborio is best because it makes the soup creamier, but you can also use long grain white rice.
- Using water instead of broth: Since you simmer the chicken for 30 minutes with the vegetables and spices, you can save money by using water instead of broth and it still ends up tasting super flavorful. If using broth, I highly recommend using reduced-salt or unsalted broth.
How to make lemon chicken & rice soup
Here you'll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe is given below.
Step 1: Add chicken, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper and broth to a large pot.
Step 2: Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly.
Step 3: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
Step 4: Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Set aside.
Step 5: Add arborio rice and butter, if using, to the vegetables and broth and stir well.
Step 6: Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Step 7: Add back in the chicken, along with the lemon juice, parsley and dill.
Step 8: Stir well and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
Step 9: Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Tips
- How to make with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken: Add butter to the pot first, sauté the onion, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, until tender. Add in the rice, salt and pepper and stir well, then add in stock (don’t use water if using leftover chicken) and simmer for 15-20 minutes before adding the shredded chicken, lemon juice, parsley and dill.
- Optional add ins: Feel free to add in spinach, kale, other vegetables like zucchini, etc.
- Serving suggestions: This soup goes well with a loaf of crusty bread or soft dinner rolls on the side.
Storage
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The soup will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored in the fridge.
The rice will absorb more of the broth as it sits, so you may find that you need to add additional broth when reheating.
If you’ve tried this easy lemon chicken and rice soup recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
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Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 ½ cups carrot diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock
- ¼ cup butter optional
- ¾ cup arborio rice
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill finely chopped
Instructions
- Add chicken, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper and broth to a large pot.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the pot and shred with two forks. Set aside.
- Add arborio rice and butter, if using, to the vegetables and broth and stir well.
- Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add back in the chicken, along with the lemon juice, parsley and dill.
- Stir well and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Butter: The butter is optional, but it adds extra richness to the soup. The nutritional information includes the addition of the butter.
- How to make it with leftover shredded rotisserie chicken: Add butter to the pot first, sauté the onion, then add the garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for 7 minutes, until tender. Add in the rice, salt and pepper and stir well, then add in stock (don’t use water if using leftover chicken) and simmer for 15-20 minutes before adding the shredded chicken, lemon juice, parsley and dill.
- To make dairy free: Simply omit the butter.
- Rice: arborio is best because it makes the soup creamier, but you can also use long grain white rice.
- Optional add ins: spinach, kale, other vegetables like zucchini, etc.
- Using water instead of broth: Since you simmer the chicken for 30 minutes with the vegetables and spices, you can save money by using water instead of broth and it still ends up tasting super flavorful. If using broth, I highly recommend using reduced-salt or unsalted broth.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Lori W
Easy to make, did not use chicken stock or butter. Used water, I forgot to get dill, but used everything else in recipe. Still flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it. This goes with the keeper recipes.
Kate Dean
Thank you!