Is there anything that compares to the comfort of chicken soup? This hearty chicken soup is packed with flavour, and is easy enough to make any day of the week! With tender chicken thighs, a delicious broth, served over black rice… what’s not to like?
I have made many, many, many… chicken soups. Personally, chicken soup is my ultimate comfort food and is something I could eat at least once a week – even in summer! Whether it’s a slow cooked soup using a whole chicken or it’s a quick whip-up on a weeknight. This recipe is for an easy chicken soup that tastes like it took lots of time and effort!
Star Ingredients:
- Mirepoix: this is the base to almost every chicken soup recipe. Made with diced carrot, onion, and celery. Sometimes I will pass on the celery, but I do recommend including this trio when making this!
- Garlic: to add extra flavour to the mirepoix, make sure to sauté some garlic in there too!
- Ginger: this chicken soup has a knob of ginger in it. It is kept whole, not minced, and simmers in the broth to add some depth.
- Chicken thighs: because the goal of this chicken soup is to be delicious but not take hours, chicken thighs is the way to go. They’re much juicier and tender than breast.
- Chicken stock: if you have some homemade on hand that’s great, if not store bought is perfect too. Adding already made stock helps with enhancing the flavour.
- Seasonings: in this soup it’s just going to be the basics. Garlic and onion powder are lighter seasonings that help build the base flavour of the soup, while paprika gives it some depth. Chicken powder is what I use instead of salt. Then mixed herbs brings a delicious and subtle earthy tone.
- Black rice: the chicken soup on its own is amazing, but the black rice is what takes it to the next level. It has a slight nutty flavour that compliments and elevates the dish to make it stand out.
How to make this chicken soup:
Sear the chicken.
In a large pot with olive oil, add the chicken thighs. Once the chicken thighs have been placed, coat them with the seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken powder. After a couple minutes, flip the sides and sear the other side for another couple minutes. This step is just to cook the seasonings a bit and give the chicken some colour, it is not necessary that the chicken thighs be fully cooked.
Prepare the vegetables.
Whilst the chicken is browning, prep the vegetables. Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery. I prefer mine to be finely diced to blend in with the rice, but you can chop to your desired preference. Crush or dice the garlic too.
Sauté the garlic and onion.
Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and set aside. Add a little bit more olive oil, and a knob of butter to melt. Once the butter has melted, use a rubber spatula/spoon to scrub the flavours off the bottom of the pot. Now add the garlic and onion until they start to turn translucent.
Add the carrot and celery.
Once the onion has started looking translucent, it is time to add the carrot and celery. Mix these in and leave to sweat and soften for a few minutes.
Return the chicken.
Now that the vegetables are seasoning and have softened, it’s time to add the chicken back to the pot. Place them over the vegetables. Now also add the ginger to the pot, keep it whole, not crushed.
Pour the stock and simmer the chicken soup.
Pour the stock so that the pots contents are completely submerged. Bring the broth to a rolling boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and leave the chicken soup for 30 minutes.
Shred the chicken and cook the rice.
After 30 minutes, remove the chicken from the pot. Shred the chicken so that it will be easy to eat in bite size pieces. Return the chicken to the broth for a further 15 minutes. During these 15 minutes, it is time to cook the black rice. Cook the rice to package instructions.
Serve the chicken soup.
To serve this dish you first add the rice to the bowl, then pour the chicken soup over top. Add as much rice as you would like, the ratio is up to your personal preference.
Why you should make this delicious chicken soup:
- Flavour fusion: this recipe takes a classic chicken soup and turns it into a unique new comfort food. With a flavour packed broth, tender chicken thighs, and nutty black rice it is sure to impress.
- Easy to make: despite its intricate flavours, this chicken soup is so easy anyone can make it! It’s a dish with minimal effort and maximum flavour. This chicken soup is definitely a must try.
- Health benefits: who doesn’t love comfort food that doesn’t feel guilty? I certainly do. Chicken soup is well known for its healing properties, it’s a classic go-to for colds. With the vegetables, ginger, and black rice added to the soup, it creates a wholesome and well balanced meal.
Can I not add the rice?
Of course! Not using rice doesn’t take away from how delicious this soup is, it only adds. The chicken soup is amazing on its own as well.
Storage
One thing I love about a soup like this is its freezability. It’s perfect to make a large batch of, then freeze some for an even quicker dinner another time. Make sure you freeze the soup without the rice, and just make a fresh batch when you defrost the soup. In the freezer this could last up to 3 months in an airtight container. If you would like to have the leftovers sooner, then the soup can last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
More for soup lovers:
- Zuppa Toscana
- Roast Veggie Soup
- Thai Red Curry Soup
- Lentil Soup
- Golden Chicken Soup
Alrighty, there you have it! A delicious chicken soup, the ultimate comfort food that’s good for the soul. Whether it’s a cold winter night, or you just want something to make you feel better (physically or mentally), this recipe will quickly become a favourite.
Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 2 carrot
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 celery sticks
- 1 small ginger
- 5 chicken thighs
- 2.5 cups black rice
- 1 L chicken stock
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chicken powder
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
Instructions
- In a large pot on medium-high heat, add the chicken thighs and coat in the seasonings.
- While the chicken is browning, prepare the vegetables. Cut onion into slivers, then dicing the carrots and celery.
- Remove the browned chicken from the pot and set aside. Add the butter and mix with any seasonings left on the bottom of the pot.
- Now add the garlic and veggies, sauté until the onion and celery are translucent.
- Place chicken back into the pot.
- Pour in the chicken stock so that everything is covered.
- Put the black rice on to cook, cook to package instructions and leave on ‘keep warm’ when done.
- Let the soup simmer on low for 30 minutes, then remove the chicken and shred it.
- Add the chicken back to the broth and simmer for a further 15 minutes.
- Serve over the black rice.
