Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
This is my cheats chicken soup, that comes together very quickly, especially if you already have cooked rice. The reason it’s a cheats version is because I’ve used the short cut of bone broth concentrate, and added in already cooked chicken, instead of slaving over the stove for hours.
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Wild rice, despite its name, is not actually rice but the seed of aquatic grass. It has a chewy texture and a nutty flavour that pairs perfectly with the savoury elements of this chicken soup. But you can also use regular basmati rice instead, which I do as well.
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This soup really rides on a great bone broth, I use this one for the best flavour, but if you happen to have homemade chicken broth, you can use that too!
Quick Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
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A nourishing and quick weeknight meal that feels like you slaved over the stove for hours.
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Serves:
3
Prep time:
15 minutes
Cook time:
45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 150g wild rice
- 500g chicken breast
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into discs
- 1L chicken bone broth
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 bunch kale, washed, stems removed, roughly torn
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- Salt and pepper, to taste
METHOD
Cook the Wild Rice
- In a pot, add the wild rice and water to a pot, using a ratio of 1 part rice to 3 parts water. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for about 40 minutes or until the rice is tender. Drain any excess water and set aside.
Cook the Chicken Breast
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and dried oregano.
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cover with a lid.
- Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side or until the chicken is fully cooked and juices run clear.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes before shredding it using two forks. Set aside.
Prepare the Soup
- In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the sliced onion and cook until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic and carrot slices, and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken bone broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the shredded chicken and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Stir in the roughly torn kale and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the kale is tender.
- Divide the cooked wild rice among bowls.
- Ladle the hot soup over the rice and squeeze a lemon wedge over each bowl for a burst of freshness. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use curly kale, Tuscan kale, or even silverbeet.
- For a low-carb option, you can serve this soup without the wild rice.
- You can also serve this with basmati rice