One-Pot Healthy Chicken Soup (Printable)

A comforting blend of chicken, vegetables, and rice simmered into a wholesome, satisfying meal.

# What you need:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz), cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
04 - 2 celery stalks, sliced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 cup baby spinach or kale, chopped (optional)
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

→ Grains

08 - 2/3 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - 1 bay leaf
13 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
14 - 3/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/2 lemon, juiced (optional)

→ Fats

16 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How to make it:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add chicken pieces to the pot and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Chicken will finish cooking in the broth.
04 - Stir in rinsed rice, dried thyme, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
06 - Stir in chopped spinach or kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed. Stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley. Remove and discard bay leaf.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with additional fresh parsley. Serve hot.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour with barely any cleanup, which means more time sitting at the table and less time scrubbing pans.
  • The chicken stays tender, the rice absorbs all those savory flavors, and somehow it tastes even better the next day.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and dairy-free without feeling like you're missing anything or compromising on taste.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the rice—I made that mistake once and ended up with a starchy, cloudy broth that tasted like disappointment instead of clarity.
  • The soup thickens as it sits because the rice continues absorbing liquid, so when you reheat leftovers just add extra broth until it reaches that perfect sippable consistency again.
03 -
  • Cut everything into similar-sized pieces so it all finishes cooking at the same time instead of leaving you with some vegetables still crunchy while others turn to mush.
  • If your broth is store-bought, taste it before you add salt to the pot because some brands are already quite salty and you don't want to oversalt the whole thing.
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