There are two types of people in the world: soup people and non-soup people. I am not much of a soup person. I don’t often make soup, so my family isn’t really into soup either. However, I had a bunch of bone broth to use and I decided to make soup. I decided to make Chicken Veggie Rice Soup. It was delicious. My whole family liked it, even my picky eater. It turned us into reluctant soup people.
I used the Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup recipe in the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook as inspiration for my own recipe. You see, I knew my picky eaters would not be into the wild rice that the recipe called for and plus, I didn’t have any wild rice, but I did have some leftover rice. What surprised me was that this recipe is now my oldest son’s new favorite soup. He asks me to make it all the time. It uses homegrown chicken and homemade chicken broth so it is super healthy and utilizes our farm harvest. Yay!
I love using farm-fresh ingredients. I used a pasture-raised chicken from our farm, but you could certainly use a whole chicken from the store or even a rotisserie chicken if you are short on time. You would just have to buy chicken broth as well.
Chicken and Rice Soup recipe instructions
I put the chicken, water, and spices into the slow cooker early in the morning and turn it on low. In the evening, when I am ready to make the soup, I remove the chicken from the slow cooker to allow it to cool so I can remove the meat from the carcass while the veggies simmer.
While the chicken is cooling, I scoop out the broth and put it in a stockpot on the stove. Add the fresh or frozen cauliflower and simmer until tender. When the cauliflower is tender, I scoop it into the blender with a couple of cups of broth. You do not need to be exact in your measurements in this step. Blend until creamy. Be careful, it is hot! I just leave the contents sitting in the blender, while I chop vegetables.
Add chopped onion, carrots, and celery to the remaining broth in the stockpot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Now is a great time to remove the meat from the chicken carcass.
Note: If you want, you can return the carcass to the slow cooker, add water to cover carcass, a couple of tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar and turn it on low and leave the carcass overnight or even up to 24 hours to make more bone broth.
While the veggies are simmering, add the cream cheese to the blender and blend with the broth and cauliflower. Add the chicken, rice, and contents of the blender to the stockpot. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until heated.
Taste the soup and adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve and enjoy. This recipe is delicious with some sourdough bread and a green salad.
My whole family enjoys this healthy, delicious, frugal chicken and rice soup. I think your family will enjoy it too!
Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- High-powered blender
Ingredients
- 1 whole Chicken
- 2 quarts water
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp thyme
- 3-4 cups carrots, chopped
- 2 cups celery, chopped
- 4 cups frozen cauliflower (or 1 whole, fresh cauliflower) cut into pieces
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 3 oz cream cheese, 1/3 less fat
Instructions
- Place chicken, water, and spices into slow cooker
- Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours
- Remove chicken from slow cooker, remove meat from bones (resserve carcass to make bone broth)
- Place broth into a large stock pot, add cauliflower and bring to quick boil until cauliflower is tender
- place cauliflower and approximately 2 cups of broth in the blender and blend until smooth. Set aside
- Add onions, carrots, and celery to stockpot. Simmer for 30-45 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Add the cream cheese to blender and puree until blended
- Add the chicken and rice to the stockpot. Simmer 5 minutes or until hot.
- Add the contents of the blender to the stockpot. Stir until blended. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until hot.
- Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking and serve.
What about you? Do you follow a Trim Healthy Mama Lifestyle? If you would like to read more about my THM journey, read My Top Ten Weightloss Tips. Are you a soup person? What is your favorite kind of soup?
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