Hearty Chicken Soup with Rice and Kale

Hearty Chicken Soup with Rice and Kale is an easy, dreamy feel-good nourishing meal, no matter the time of year! With a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates and dietary fiber, you’re getting all the essentials in one bowl.

So you’re looking for a classic chicken soup with rice recipe that will soothe the belly and soul? Well, you’re in the right place, because this hearty chicken soup with rice and kale is packed full of everything you need and nothing that you don’t.

High protein, a balance of complex carbs and a nice infusion of fiber, this belly-pleasing meal is a healing elixir for those looking for comfort.

Similar to my Immunity-Boosting Turmeric Chicken Soup recipe, this basic chicken soup includes fresh veggies and protein for the ultimate healing concoction.

Although most of us think of soup season as landing on the cold months of the year, I made this chicken and rice soup recipe for the first time on a day in July many years ago.

I had been feeling under the weather and although it was hot outside, the thought of a nice big bowl of soup sounded so appealing.

Appealing, and appeasing it was! I found (and continue to find) this chicken soup recipe to be cozy and comforting. Ideal for those times you’re craving nourishment or you aren’t feeling well.

One of the best parts about this healthy soup recipe is it doesn’t require any fancy ingredients. The whole ingredients list can be found at any grocery store.

Let’s discuss the healthy ingredients for chicken and rice soup.

Ingredients for Hearty Chicken Soup with Rice and Kale:

Avocado Oil: Used to sauté the vegetables, we need a quality cooking oil like avocado oil or olive oil.

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Adding a big boost of lean protein, we use boneless skinless chicken breasts. Boneless chicken thighs work too.

Uncooked Brown Rice: Bringing complex carbohydrates to this easy soup recipe, we add uncooked (dry) brown rice.

Any short grain or long grain white rice such as sushi rice or jasmine rice works too. While the recipe calls for uncooked rice, you can use 3 to 4 cups of cooked rice if you have leftovers.

Chicken Broth: The liquid portion of the soup! Pick your favorite chicken stock or chicken broth. Homemade stock is a great option for a flavorful broth. We need more broth than normal to soak into the rice.

Yellow Onion and Garlic: Adding depth of flavor to the soup, we need the delicious combination of fresh garlic and onion.

Seasonings: Dried oregano, dried basil, sea salt. Dried herbs like oregano and basil make the soup taste rustic. Sea salt enhances all of the flavors of the individual ingredients.

Vegetables: Zucchini, kale, and carrots. The fresh vegetables I love adding to this magical soup recipe are zucchini, kale, and carrots. To save time, you can buy a package of pre-chopped kale.

There are many ways you can customize this healthy one-pot meal. Here are some ideas.

Recipe Adaptations:

• Mix up the vegetable selection to your heart’s delight. Cauliflower, broccoli, celery and diced tomatoes are all great options for extra veg.
• Use 3 to 4 cups of chopped leftover chicken such as shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken instead of raw chicken breasts if you’d like.
• Replace the rice with pasta noodles.
• Add your favorite dried herbs or swap out the oregano and basil for Italian seasoning.
• Use a wild rice blend instead of brown rice.
• If using ordinary white rice, you won’t need to cook the soup for as long.
• Add in fresh herbs such as fresh parsley or fresh oregano for herb infused chicken rice soup.
• If you enjoy creamy chicken soups, replace 1 to 2 cups of the broth with heavy cream or half & half. You can also add flour or a cornstarch slurry to thicken the soup to make it creamier.

Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make easy chicken soup!

How to Make Chicken Soup with Rice and Kale:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot (such as a large Dutch oven) over medium high heat on the stove top and sauté the onion until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the chopped carrots, minced garlic, brown rice, oregano, basil, and salt. Sauté, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a full boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Add the zucchini, chicken, and chopped kale leaves and cover the pot again. The pot will be very full, but the kale will cook down.

Continue cooking until chicken and veggies are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Serve heaping bowls of soup with crusty bread. I like adding hot sauce on top for a little spice and sometimes a drizzle of fresh lemon juice.

Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze soup for up to 3 months. I find double bagging soup in large zip lock bags works best for freezing.

Soup is even more flavorful the next day, and the 3-4 days following preparation. For this reason, soup is my favorite way of meal prepping in advance and enjoying a delicious meal later.

If you prefer cooking in the slow cooker, make my Crock Pot Chicken and Rice Soup. 

I love making soup recipes like this for meal prep, because they contain a lovely balance of macronutrients as well as micronutrients for the kind of meal that makes you feel full and satisfied.

Because this healthy recipe is easy to prepare and so tasty, I find it to be a great go-to lunch or dinner for weekday meals, worthy of keeping on constant rotation.

The next time you’re craving a hearty bowl of soup or comfort food, whip up this easy homemade chicken soup with rice! It’s a great option for chilly days that the entire family will surely enjoy.

If you love healthy soup recipes like this, also try out these reader favorites.

More Healthy Soup Recipes:

• Avgolemono Soup (Greek Lemon Chicken Soup)  
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Soup
• Hearty Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables
• Crock Pot Sausage and Cabbage Soup

Big bowls of soup on repeat!

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