Chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon, Leeks & Fresh Herbs

Chicken and Rice Soup with Lemon, Leeks & Fresh Herbs

This recipe is one of our weeknight favorites, and can be done with so many variations. You can use a rotissere chicken or roast your own breasts. You can use only onions, only leeks, throw in a shallot. Really whatever you have on hand! We have even done this soup with just alliums, rice and herbs and skipped the chicken. Do with what you have and enjoy the simple, fresh flavors.

Ingredients:

• 2 roasted chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
• 2 white onions, thinly sliced
• 4-6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/2-1 cup white basmati rice
• Fresh mint
• Fresh or dried dill
• Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• Feta or labneh for topping

Directions:

0. If you are roasting your own chicken breasts here is where to begin. Heat oven to 375. We like using a skin on boneless chicken breast. The skin on breast creates great juices that are IDEAL to add to your soup. Prepare your roasting dish, season breasts olive oil with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides. Roast chicken for 40 minutes, when done remove breasts to rest on a plate, shred when cooled. Save juices in pan to add to soup.

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil to medium heat. Add leeks to the pot and begin to sauté. Once tender, add in white onion and toss well so both are evenly coated with olive oil. Salt lightly. Let cook about 3 minutes, then add in white wine, let simmer another two minutes scrapping any crispy bits on bottom of the pan. Add garlic and let sauté, 3 minutes.

2. Once leeks, onions and garlic are tender. Add chicken broth and juice of 1/2 lemon. If you have the roasted chicken pan juices, add them here (be careful with adding any additional salt if you are using pan juices). Season with fresh ground pepper, to taste. Let soup come to a light simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add your rice and cook with lid on another 5 minutes. This is a great time to chop your fresh herbs and shred your chicken. Once rice is cooked, add shredded chicken to heat through and then turn off heat.

3. Assemble each bowl with soup, top with feta or labneh then garnish with all of the fresh herbs. Option to add another squeeze of lemon and drizzle with olive oil.