Herby Rotisserie Chicken & Rice Soup
I call this recipe my soup-and-salad combo, even though it’s technically just one bowl of soup. The base is a cozy chicken and rice soup, topped with so much fresh baby kale and herbs that it looks like a salad until you stir it together and the residual heat gently wilts everything down. It’s my go-to when I’m sick, run down, or craving something comforting that still feels fresh.
This is one of those flexible, fridge-cleanout recipes that’s more about feeling than precision. When I have the time, I like to start with homemade chicken broth made from a rotisserie chicken carcass. Onions, carrots, fennel, and aromatics like ginger, bay leaf, and garlic simmer into a deeply flavorful base that gives the soup extra depth. That said, store-bought chicken broth or Better Than Bouillon works just as well when you don’t have the capacity to make your own. And boiling chicken breasts in the broth for 20 minutes before adding the rice would work great instead of rotisserie chicken, as would your leftover thighs from last nights dinner.
As the soup cooks, the rice breaks down slightly, giving the broth body, while the greens and herbs keep it light and balanced. Finished with lemon, salt, and a few pantry toppings, it’s the perfect dish for the post holiday rush and winter blues. It’s comforting, adaptable, and exactly what I want on a chilly day.
Herby Rotisserie Chicken & Rice Soup
This Herby Rotisserie Chicken & Rice Soup is a winter staple and a sick-day go-to, topped with fresh baby kale and herbs for a soup-and-salad effect in one bowl. The rice breaks down as it simmers, creating a comforting, lightly thickened broth that's so satisfying. Finished with lemon and pantry toppings, it’s a flexible, low-effort soup that’s perfect for chilly days and fridge-cleanout cooking.
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- ½ lemon, juiced
- kosher salt
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 cup tender herbs like dill, mint, and parsley
- 2 teaspoon sesame seeds
- grated parmesan
- roasted garlic oil (optional)
- chili crisp (optional)
- pickled onion (optional)
Instructions
- Add 8 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of cooked rice to a Dutch oven or soup pot. Heat over medium high, bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the rice begins to break down and slightly thicken the broth.
- Add 4 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken to the soup and simmer for another 5 minutes to warm through.
- Juice ½ of a lemon into the broth and add ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust with more lemon or salt as needed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and divide the baby kale and herbs among them.
- Sprinkle each bowl with ½ teaspoon sesame seeds and about 1 teaspoon Parmesan.
- Finish them off with a drizzle of roasted garlic oil, a spoonful of chili crisp and a few pickled onions if you have them on hand!
