Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

If you live anywhere in the Midwest, you know this soup. However, it’s normally very gelatinous, you know, jiggly like jello or even a custard.

I wanted mine to be creamy, not solid or even thick. But I also didn’t want it to be brothy.

I know, I’m difficult.

I did have a few issues … from not having enough chicken broth (had to sub half with veggie broth) to using a pot that was clearly not going to be large enough!

We got past that and moved on!

Let’s bring one thing to light: I am not a soup girl. Sissy, on the other hand, is. We had 3 days of frozen tundra weather so it was perfect timing to make this. I was just “ok” with it but now I’m being asked to make this again for a family gathering we have coming up this weekend, so alright then!

I used some leftover chicken breast that we had roasted in the oven a few days earlier so that made it a little less labor intensive…

OH! And I used my little chopper gadget thingy … go snag one NOW if you don’t already have OR if yours is older you should get a new, fresh blade!

Let’s get cooking!

1 teaspoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (or, like me, 5 baby carrots chopped)
1/2 cup chopped celery (again, 1 stalk)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 quarts (8 cups) low sodium chicken broth (I used 1/2 vegetable stock and 1/2 chicken broth)
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice (yes, I used the stuff in a bottle)
1 cup diced cooked chicken (leftover chicken breast)
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

Grab yourself a LARGE heavy bottom pot with lid.

Saute the carrots, celery, onion with salt and pepper in the oil until tender.

Add parsley and oregano, stir to combine.

Stir in the broth, cover and bring to a boil.

Stir in the rice and cover again, reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes or so, stirring a few times. The rice may stick to bottom of pot so stir that up.

Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a small measuring glass.

Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from heat. After it stops bubbling, remove a ladle full of the liquid and slowly, so very slowly, add drizzle that into the egg/lemon mixture. Do this super slow and whisk the whole time to prevent the eggs from cooking (curdling).

Stir this mixture back in to the pot slowly. This will thicken up the soup without any extra cream that a lot of folks apparently have issues with!

Add the cooked chicken to the pot and stir. Allow to gently heat over low. Do not let the soup come to a boil!

Be special and grab a fresh lemon if you have and zest a small amount into the pot.

Serve up and enjoy!