How to Make An Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken and Rice Soup is about as Americana as Apple Pie. It is the ultimate comfort soup and many people consider it a cure all for illnesses such as the common cold or the flu. Personally, I just love the taste and if its made properly it can be extremely healthy as well as tasteful. Below please find my step by step recipe for making an old fashioned Chicken and Rice Soup.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. 
    
   ingredients

   Ingredients for Chicken Stock:
   
   1 whole chicken
   2 onions, roughly chopped
   3 celery stalks sliced into 1 or 2 inch pieces
   4 carrots, roughly chopped
   1/2 teaspoon of salt
   1/2 teaspoon of white pepper
   1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, diced
   1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
   1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
   2 bay leaves
   2 quarts of water
   
   Remaining Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Soup:
   
   1 cup of rice
   1/2 cups of water
   1/2 teaspoon of salt
   1 onion, diced
   2 celery stalks, sliced
   3 carrots, sliced
   1 tablespoon of freshly diced parsley

2. 
    
   cut up chicken

   Your first step in making any soup that has a chicken stock base is to make the chicken stock. In order to make a good chicken stock you need at least one whole chicken. Cut the chicken into parts and use all of the chicken for the chicken stock including the neck, gizzards and skin. You get most of your flavor from the bones and the skin. When I purchase chicken from the market I always buy a whole chicken and butcher it myself and set the backbone, neck and gizzards aside for when I make soup. I suggest that you do this as well. If you do so, then you will have extra backbones, necks and gizzards to add to your stock and your soup will be much more flavorful.

3. 
    
   make chicken stock

   To make the chicken stock, place 2 quarts of water into a stock pot and then place the chicken, onion, carrots, salt pepper, parsley, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves in the pot. Place the pot on a medium high heat and slowly bring it to a boil. Once the stock comes to a boil skim off the foam that has come to the top and throw it away. Now reduce the heat and bring the stock to a simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the chicken pieces from the pot and place them into the refrigerator until they have cooled so that you can touch the chicken. Once they are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and then return the skin and bones to the stockpot. Place the meat into an airtight freezer or storage bag and put the meat in the refrigerator for use later. Now, continue to cook the stock for another 4 hours. If you had kept the meat in the stock you would not have nice and flavorful meat for your soup.

4. 
    
   remove everything from stock

   After the stock has simmered for the full 4 1/2 hours you now need to remove everything from the stock. I do this by first using a big slotted spoon and spooning out all of the bones and vegetables that I can with the spoon. Try not to loose too much of the stock when you do this. What you are removing shall be thrown away. It will not be used in your soup and has served its purpose. Your next step is to place a strainer over a big bowl or other pot and pour the soup through the strainer to remove all debris out of the broth. Now that all of the big debris is out of the soup you will want to quickly clean your stock pot for when you return the broth into it.

5. 
    
   clarify stock

   The very last step in making the stock is to put a piece of cheese cloth into the strainer and then once again run the soup through the strainer. You will have to do this a little at a time since the cheese cloth makes the stock run much slower through the strainer. What you are doing in this step is called clarification. You are removing the fat and other debris from the stock. If you do not do this the stock will not be clear and it will have a fatty taste to it. Once you have finished this last step in the stock making process you can now proceed to make your soup.

6. 
    
   make rice separately

   You will now want to make the rice for the soup. I do not simply pour the rice into the soup as some cooks do. The reason for this is simple, it will soak up all of that wonderful soup stock that you spent so much time making. What I do instead is to make the rice on the side as the soup finishes cooking. You will want to place 1 1/2 cups of water into a saucepot and bring it to a boil. Add in the rice and salt and then reduce the heat to low and bring it to a simmer. Place the lid on the saucepan and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the saucepan off the heat and let it stand. Time the rice so that it stands at least 5 minutes but no more then 20 minutes.

7. 
    
   chicken and rice soup

   Return the soup stock to the stock pot and place the diced onions, sliced celery, sliced carrots and diced parsley into the stockpot. Place the soup on a medium high heat and slowly bring the soup to a boil. When it comes to a boil you will want to lower the heat to a medium low heat and bring the soup to a simmer. You will want to simmer the soup for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes you will want to return the chicken to the soup. Make certain you have cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Now cook the soup for an additional 5 minutes. After that time, place the rice into the soup and cook the soup an additional 5 minutes. Your soup is now ready.

[nanamusicgirl]

on 10/25/2009 Wonderful detailed recipe ...great article on How to Make an Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Soup.
5 stars.

[besesitos]

on 10/20/2009 Great recipe on How to Make An Old Fashioned Chicken and Rice Soup! Thanks! Hugs

[jeni10]

on 10/19/2009 This soup sounds wonderful, warm and soothing for those colder days and nights we're having. Thank you for sharing how to make an old fashioned chicken and rice soup. Great article. 5*

[stacie5]

on 10/19/2009 Great recipe for a very healthy soup! 5*

[stacie5]

on 10/19/2009 Great recipe for a very healthy soup! 5*