Description
Comforting ranch chicken and rice soup delivers hearty flavors from homestyle cooking. Warm ingredients blend seamlessly, creating a satisfying meal that nourishes both body and soul.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups chicken (cooked and shredded)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2/3 cup white rice (uncooked)
- 1 packet (1.0 oz) dry ranch seasoning mix
- 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed cheddar cheese or cream of chicken soup
- 2 carrots (peeled and finely diced)
- 2 celery ribs (finely diced)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsps Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- Optional: bacon bits (for garnishing)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high temperature, sautéing onions, carrots, and celery until vegetables become translucent and tender, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Integrate salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, ranch seasoning, and paprika into the vegetable mixture, stirring thoroughly to distribute seasonings evenly.
- Add garlic powder and cook for 1-2 minutes, carefully preventing garlic from scorching.
- Pour chicken broth and condensed soup into the pot, whisking until ingredients blend smoothly.
- Add shredded chicken and white rice, raising heat to generate a rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce temperature, cover pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice reaches complete tenderness.
- If desired, scatter bacon bits across soup surface. Taste and fine-tune seasonings as needed. Ladle into serving bowls while piping hot.
Notes
- Enhance the soup’s creaminess by stirring in a splash of heavy cream or half-and-half during the final minutes of cooking.
- Transform this recipe into a gluten-free version by using cornstarch instead of regular flour and selecting gluten-free ranch seasoning.
- Boost protein content by adding extra shredded chicken or stirring in white beans for a heartier meal.
- Prep vegetables in advance and store in the refrigerator to cut down on cooking time and make weeknight meal preparation faster and easier.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 230 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 540 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg