While chicken and rice are a tried-and-true combination that might be overlooked due to their ubiquitousness, we’ve got a soup for you today that will knock your socks off. This isn’t just any chicken and rice soup; it’s “crack” chicken and rice soup. Of course, this bad guy contains nothing unlawful, but
While chicken and rice are a tried-and-true combination that might be overlooked due to their ubiquitousness, we’ve got a soup for you today that will knock your socks off. This isn’t just any chicken and rice soup; it’s “crack” chicken and rice soup. Of course, there’s nothing unlawful in this bad boy, but one mouthful gets folks hooked, and we receive repeated requests to make it, whether for a weeknight, family dinner, or when we have guests around. There’s something homey about it, but it’s also so tasty that people wonder why their copies never come out nearly as nice. So take a pencil and get ready to scribble down all of our secrets today.
While most of our soups start the same way – with carrots, onion, and celery – we deviated slightly with our seasoning. Paprika and Italian spice offer a little heat, but one entire packet of dry ranch seasoning really kicks things up and adds a lot of flavor to this soup. Instead of a roux or cornstarch slurry to thicken, we simply added flavor by tossing in condensed cheddar cheese soup. Condensed cream of chicken can be substituted in a pinch, and you’re welcome to use your own handmade condensed soup, but we had this on hand and it complimented all the flavors nicely. After that, just add your rice and shredded chicken and you’re ready to go!
INGREDIENTS
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
6 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
2 peeled and sliced carrots
2 ribs diced celery
1 finely chopped onion
a half teaspoon garlic powder
1 box (1.0 oz.) dry ranch seasoning blend
1 can condensed cheddar cheese or cream of chicken soup (10.75 oz.)
2/3 cup raw white rice
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
paprika, 1/2 teaspoon
genuine bacon pieces, optional garnish
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
to taste, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté onion, carrot, and celery for 8-10 minutes, or until softened.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, as well as Italian spice, ranch seasoning, and paprika.
Cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until garlic is aromatic, before adding chicken broth and condensed soup.
Bring to a boil with the chicken and rice. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed after adding bacon bits. Serve immediately.
