Family Favorites - April 2018: Chicken and Rice Soup (Soy, Wheat, Egg, Fish, Milk and Nut-Free)

This year, I decided to list a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the fourth Family Favorites recipe of 2018.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Chicken and Rice Soup which is a gluten-free variation of my Chicken Noodle Soup.  This is a recipe we make about once a week in the winter time, and I always make it when we're dealing with illness of any sort.   It just one of those hardy soups that fills you up, warms you from the inside out, and helps you feel better.  It is also pretty cost effective, and we almost always end up with leftovers.  The best part?  It is free of soy, wheat, egg, milk, fish and nuts (assuming all of your ingredients are)!  Awesome-sauce!

Chicken Rice Soup

1 or 2 raw chicken breast (bone-in and skin-on preferred)
 (We always use a non-broth injected chicken breast (this is one that contains water only), and you'll want to make sure that your chicken fits your individual allergen needs.)

1 teaspoon onion salt or to taste

(We normally use McCormick's.  Sometimes I may add more than 1 teaspoon.)

½ teaspoon celery salt or to taste
(I normally use McCormick's.  Sometimes I may add more than 1/2 teaspoon.)

3 big shakes of paprika or to taste
(Sometimes I may add more than 3 big shakes.)

ground black pepper (to taste)
(We always add this.  I generally add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.)

rosemary (to taste - optional)
(We always add this.  I generally add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon.)

parsley flakes (to taste - optional)
(We always add this.  I generally use about a Tablespoon.)

10 baby carrots cut into bite-sized pieces

3 stalks celery cut into bite-sized pieces

2 or 3 (32 oz.) Pacific brand chicken broth 
(We always use this kind.)

water (if needed)

2 Cups Minute Rice (non-cooked)
(We use brown Minute Rice normally.)

1. Put chicken, spices, carrots and celery into a large pot.  (Note: One chicken breast is more than enough, but you can use 2 if you want a lot of chicken or have a lot of mouths to feed.  Also, the spices are essentially all to taste.  I recommend starting with the amounts given for the spices and adjust from there.  If it is your first time making the soup, start with just the onion salt, celery salt and paprika, taste the soup after step 4, and then adjust or add spices to your liking.)
   

2. Fill the pot with broth and water (if needed) until it covers the chicken completely.  (Note: I always use 2 boxes of broth and then just add more water if need be.  This will dilute the flavor a little, so you can use all broth, if you wish.  You can also use all water, but the flavor will be extremely mild, and I don't recommend that unless you are ok with a very mild flavor.  There is a variation listed below for using bouillon or soup base instead, but that is harder to make allergy-friendly.  Feel free to use this variation, however, if you don't want to use broth and it works with your allergen needs.)
   

3. Cover the pot, and cook the chicken on medium-high heat until the chicken is completely cooked. Generally that will take around 2 hours. Check on the chicken now and then, and add more water or broth if the liquid level looks low (i.e. the chicken is no longer covered).  (Note: The chicken will float to the top as it cooks, so it will be a little exposed, but if you are seeing most of the chicken, then you will want to add more liquid.)
   

4. When the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the pot and place it on a plate and into the fridge to cool. With the broth, you can either turn it down to low and leave on the stove or put it in the fridge to cool as well.  (Note: I almost always let the soup simmer on the stove unless it is going to be several hours until I serve the soup.  This is one of those soups that tastes better the longer it simmers.)
  

5. Once the chicken has cooled, remove it from bones, remove skin (if you used bone-in, skin-on chicken which you should as it makes better soup) and pull or cut it into bite-sized pieces and re-add them to the broth.  (Note: I recommend tasting the broth at least once before adding the rice to see if it is too salty or not salty enough. If it’s too salty, add a little water. If not, you can add some regular salt.  If it needs more of any of the spices, you can add those, too.  You will want the broth a little saltier than you want it before you add the rice as the rice will take some of the saltiness out of the soup.  Also, this is the step you can stop at if you want to finish the soup at a later time (that evening or the next day or 2).  You could even freeze the soup at this point and pull it out when you want it and continue on with the recipe at step 6.)
   

6. Bring the broth to boiling and add 2 Cups of instant rice, and boil it with the lid on for 5 minutes.
   
7. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup, with the lid on, for 5 more minutes or until the rice is cooked to your liking, and then serve!  (Disclaimer: Rice, especially instant rice, can continue to absorb liquid, so you will only want to use the instant rice method if you plan on eating the soup that day or within the next day as it can get a little mushy.  My husband likes it even after it gets a bit mushy, so (if we have leftovers) we don't have to worry about having to throw out leftovers.  However, if you don't want to chance it, use the "Other Rice" method in the variations to help prevent it from going too mushy.)

Serves a family of 5 easily with leftovers.

Variations (Please keep your dietary needs in mind when using substitutions):

• Other Rice: Substitute 2 cups cooked rice (more or less according to your personal tastes; white, brown or wild) for the instant rice.  The rice can still absorb more liquid as it sits even with this method, but it is definitely less.  You will still want to eat leftovers quickly, within 2 days.
    
• Rice or Egg Noodles or Other Noodles vs. Rice: If you just really like noodles vs. rice, you can use rice noodles (I highly recommend Tinkyada) or even egg noodles or pasta shells, elbow macaroni, etc. if you can have them.  Just add them instead of rice at step 6 (use up to 12 oz., but no more than that), and cook the noodles according to package directions.  Noodles, like rice, can get soft the longer they sit, so keep that in mind when it comes to leftovers.  You'll want to eat any leftovers within a day or 2.
    
• Other Broth/Stock or Bouillon and Water Method: You can use any other  chicken stock or broth that you desire in place of the Pacific Chicken Broth.  You can also use water and chicken bouillon or soup base.  For a list of allergy-friendly stocks, broths and bouillons, click here.
    
• More Veggies, Less Salt:  You can also omit the celery salt and onion salt and add 1 medium to large onion (chopped in bite-sized pieces) and salt to taste.  You can also keep the celery and onion salt and still add the onion, too.  You can also experimenting with adding things like kale, garlic or any other vegetable that you like in chicken soup.
    
• No Meat: If you want to make the soup without the chicken, you can.  It won't be quite as flavorful, but it will still be good.  If you're looking for a soup that can be vegan/vegetarian instead, go here and look under the "Vegetarian/Vegan Vegetable Soup" variation.

So good, so hardy, and so good for you!

I hope you give this soup a try, and that it becomes a family favorite of yours, too!

(This recipe was originally posted on my original site, Natural and Free.)