Canned chicken and rice soup
A cozy chicken and rice soup made entirely from the pantry and freezer in 30 minutes, for nights when the fridge is empty.
- 30 min total
- 10 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 2
- About $2.17 a serving
- 390 calories
- Good the next day
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes, check the box: most cubes make 2 cups each
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 can canned chicken breast, 12.5 oz, drained
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ lemon, juiced (optional)
From your pantry
- 4 cups water
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 390 calories, 38 g protein, 36 g carbs and 9 g fat, and costs about $2.17 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No frozen mixed vegetables? Frozen peas or frozen corn or frozen green beans work.
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No lemons? Limes work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring the water, bouillon , onion powder, garlic powder and thyme in a medium over high heat, stirring until the cubes dissolve.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir in the rice, turn the heat to low, cover and for 15 minutes.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Low heatTimer: 15 min
Add the frozen vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, until hot.
Low heatTimer: 5 min
Break the chicken into bite-size pieces with a fork and stir it in. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until steaming hot.
Low heatTimer: 2 min 30 sec
Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Stir in the butter and pepper, squeeze in the lemon if you have one, and taste before adding any salt.
Dolly’s tip: Bouillon and canned chicken are both salty, so this rarely needs more.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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30-minute dinners ›One-pan dinners ›What to make with rice and frozen mixed vegetables ›