Bright, savory, and deeply comforting, this lemon-rosemary chicken and rice soup begins with a rich homemade broth and finishes with fresh rosemary and lemon for a warming soup you’ll want all winter long.
Hearty, rich, and perfect for a cold day, this lemon-rosemary chicken and rice soup feels like a big hug.
I’ve never met a chicken soup I didn’t like, but I especially love chicken soup that involves a rich, homemade broth with plenty of lemon juice. There’s something about the combination of salty, savory, and acidic that is exactly what I want on a cold night.
In this recipe, I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and simmer them slowly with aromatics like onion, celery, bay leaves, and a whole head of garlic. The soup is filled with hearty parsnips and carrots, while onions and celery add just the right amount of flavor. The garlic from the broth is mashed into a paste and added with rosemary, and I finish the soup with a generous squeeze of lemon to give the soup brightness.
Unlike shortcut versions of chicken and rice soup, this recipe is made from scratch, but that’s not to say you can’t take shortcuts. Use a rotisserie chicken and a good-quality store-bought stock (I love Better than Bouillon) to make this recipe accessible for a weeknight. While it won’t have quite the depth of a homemade broth, it’ll still be a tasty, satisfying, and comforting bowl of soup.
How to make lemon-rosemary chicken and rice soup
This soup is developed in stages: first, a rich, homemade broth, followed by a vegetable-forward soup base finished with rice, shredded chicken, and lemon juice.
What you need
Chicken broth: Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, yellow onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves, salt, and water. I recommend bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor. You can use a whole chicken or split chicken breasts if needed.
Soup: You’ll use onion, celery, parsnips, and carrots as the vegetable base and then add fresh rosemary and white rice. The shredded chicken and homemade broth are added after the rice, and the soup is finished with lemon juice.
Finishing touch: I finish the soup with minced parsley, but that’s optional.
How to make it
Make the broth:
Simmer chicken thighs with onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves, salt, and water for about an hour until rich and flavorful. Remove the chicken and garlic, reduce the broth slightly, then strain and set aside.
Prepare the chicken and garlic:
Discard the skin and bones, shred the chicken, and mash the softened garlic into a paste.
Build the soup:
Sauté onion, celery, parsnips, and carrots until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic paste and rosemary, then toast the rice briefly.
Simmer:
Add the broth, water, and shredded chicken. Simmer until the rice is tender, and the soup thickens. You may need to add more water depending on how thick or thin you want the soup to be.
Finish the soup:
Stir in fresh lemon juice off the heat and adjust seasoning. Serve with parsley if desired.
FAQ
How many servings does this soup make?
This recipe serves 4 to 6 people, depending on portion size.
How long does it take to make?
Plan for about 2 hours total, including:
- 1 hour to make the broth
- 30 minutes to simmer the soup
- 30 minutes for prep and sautéing
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. The flavor improves after a day, but note that the rice will continue to absorb liquid. Add more water or broth when reheating.
Can I freeze this soup?
You can, but for the best texture, freeze it before adding the rice. Cook fresh rice separately and add it when reheating.
Can I substitute dried rosemary?
Fresh rosemary delivers the best flavor, but you can absolutely substitute 1 teaspoon dried rosemary!
Lemon-Rosemary Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken broth:
- 3 pounds chicken thighs (bone in, skin-on )
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
- 1 head garlic (top cut off, cloves left in the paper)
- 3 ribs celery (halved)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 8 cups water
Soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 2 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- 1 pound parsnips (peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes)
- ¾ pound carrots (peeled, halved lengthwise, and diced into half-moons)
- 2 sprigs rosemary (stemmed and minced; yielding about 1 tablespoon minced)
- ¾ cup long-grain white rice (rinsed thoroughly)
- 1 lemon (juiced; yielding about 2 ounces lemon juice)
- ½ cup parsley (loosely packed and minced; optional for garnish)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the broth:
- Place the chicken in a large pot with the onion, garlic, celery, bay leaves, and 3 teaspoons kosher salt. Cover with 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Periodically skim off any foam or scum that floats to the top of the broth.
- Remove the chicken and garlic from the pot and transfer to a bowl. Turn the heat on the broth to medium and continue simmering for 10 minutes, uncovered, to reduce it further.
- Turn off the heat and strain the broth into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. You should have about 6 cups of homemade broth. Discard the solids and wipe out the pot. Return it to the stovetop.
Pick the chicken and prepare the garlic:
- Remove and discard the skin from the chicken. Pick the meat and shred it with your fingers. Discard the bones. Carefully pop the garlic from the paper and mash it into a paste. Set aside.
Sauté the soup vegetables:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion, celery, parsnips, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes until the vegetables soften and brown around the edges.
- Add the reserved garlic paste and minced rosemary and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add ¾ cup white rice and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to lightly toast it.
Simmer the soup:
- Add the prepared broth along with 2 cups of water (see Note 1) and the shredded chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Add more water if needed. Taste and add salt and pepper.
Finish the soup:
- Add the lemon juice to the pot and turn off the heat. Taste and season once more.
To serve:
- Spoon the soup into bowls and serve with minced parsley on top. Enjoy!
I made this as soon as you posted it a couple weeks ago and i’m making it again today. instant favorite!
Made this yesterday for dinner. I didn’t add any water so it was more of a stew. It was delicious and will definitely be on the regular list of dinners.
It’s the first recipe I’ve tried from here but it won’t be the last.
Thank you, I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it!