Chicken Curry Rice Soup

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Chicken Curry Rice Soup is out of this world good! Tender shredded chicken, rice, carrots, onion, and celery all simmer together in a rich, creamy, and flavorful base that will have you coming back for seconds (or thirds). Get ready to cozy up with a big bowl of this comforting goodness!

HEADS-UP: It's best to enjoy this soup on the same day it's made. If you do need to store it, the rice will continue to absorb liquid and become very soft, turning the soup into a thick stew. To prevent this, either cook the rice separately or halve the recipe. This soup is not a good candidate for freezing and thawing due to the way the rice absorbs liquid.

Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Healthy

Keyword Chicken Curry Rice Soup, chicken curry soup

Prep Time 35 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings -8 servings

Calories 612kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $12.23

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups cooked chicken OR use 1 lb. uncooked breasts--Note 1)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups each: finely diced yellow onion, thinly sliced carrots (2 onions, 4 large carrots)
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced celery (3-4 stalks)
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1 carton (4 cups) good quality chicken stock or broth
1 cup uncooked rice (basmati is recommended)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
3 cups milk (whole recommended)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Optional: 3 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro, 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
Serve with: warmed/toasted naan (Note 2)

US - Metric

Instructions

CHICKEN: You have two options for the chicken in this recipe. You can either cook it first in the soup pot (See Note 1) or use already seasoned and cooked chicken that you shred or chop. Measure out 2-1/2 cups of cooked chicken and set it aside in the fridge.
VEGGIES: In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion, celery, and carrot. Season to taste with salt & pepper. (We recommend 3/4 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper.) Sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very tender, about 8 minutes.
SEASONINGS AND BROTH: Add minced garlic, chicken bouillon, and curry powder to the pot. Stir for 1 minute or until the mixture is very fragrant. Pour in chicken stock or broth, and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, add uncooked rice and stir. Return the soup to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low (the soup should be simmering), and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
CREAM BASE: While the rice is cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a separate medium pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and season to taste with salt and pepper (we recommend 1/4 teaspoon of each). Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking vigorously, until the mixture is smooth. Simmer until the mixture is nicely thickened; then stir in the heavy cream to warm it up. Keep this mixture warm, stirring occasionally, until the rice in the other pot is tender.
FINISH: Once the rice is tender, stir in the prepared chicken to warm it up. Pour in the cream base and stir everything together. Remove the soup from the heat. If desired, stir in parsley and add lemon juice to taste. Season once more if needed.(The flavors should be well balanced.)
SERVE: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with warm naan. Enjoy!
STORAGE: It's best to enjoy this soup on the same day it's made. If you do store it, the rice will continue to absorb liquid and become very soft, turning the soup into a thick stew. To prevent this, either cook the rice separately or halve the recipe. This soup is not a good candidate for freezing and thawing due to the way the rice absorbs liquid.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Chicken: If you want to pre-cook the chicken in this soup, you'll need 3/4 to 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 medium-sized breasts). Here's how to prepare them:

SEASON THE CHICKEN: Cut 2 chicken breasts in half widthwise to create 4 thinner fillets. Use a meat mallet, frying pan, or your fist to give each piece a quick pound (we just want all the pieces to be fairly even in width). Season both sides with salt and pepper (we recommend 1/4 teaspoon of each per side).
COOK THE CHICKEN: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large, wide, heavy-bottomed pot. As soon as the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken pieces in one layer. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through (it should register 160 degrees on a meat thermometer or the juices should run clear). Remove the chicken to a plate, tent it with foil, and let it rest for about 5 minutes before thinly slicing, dicing, or shredding it with two forks. Don't rinse out the pot – the bits left behind by the chicken will add loads of flavor to the soup!

Note 2: Warm the naan: For small pieces, use the toaster. Otherwise, toast it on the stovetop:

Spray both sides of the naan with olive oil cooking spray.
Place the naan on the stovetop over an open flame until slightly charred, about 15-20 seconds per side.
Flip and char the other side for another 15-20 seconds.

Don't have a gas stovetop? No problem. Warm the naan in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Stack the naan in a pile and wrap it in foil.
Heat in the oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition