There is nothing like the comforting and warming taste of old-fashioned Chicken or Vegetable Soup.
Especially when you are freezing cold or not feeling well!
However, this Rustic Chicken Soup is so delicious and filling that we make it any day of the year!
So what makes this chicken soup so different than your classic Chicken Noodle soup?
First of all, there are no noodles in this recipe. As much as we hate to admit it, noodles aren’t the healthiest option for many of us.
Therefore, we chose a whole grain to make this soup just as filling as the classic version.
Instead of noodles, we use brown rice in this chicken soup recipe. Brown rice is a heart-healthy grain that can actually help reduce heart disease.
However, if you are trying to eat a low-carb diet, you can skip the brown rice all together if you prefer.
The second reason that this recipe is unique to most soup recipes, is that we use whole chicken leg quarters or thighs.
Although some people may use chicken leg quarters to flavor the broth and use the meat in the soup, we take a different approach.
We actually serve the entire chicken leg quarter or thigh on top of the soup!
It is a great way to get a bunch of protein while eating your soup!
How To Make Rustic Chicken Soup
So how do you make this healthy and delicious soup?
It all starts with browning the chicken in a Dutch Oven or large stockpot.
Although you could skip this step, it really helps bring additional flavor to the soup once cooked.
Once browned on both sides, remove the chicken but keep the drippings in the pan.
Add the vegetables to the pot and saute just until the onions become translucent.
Then add just enough chicken stock to the bottom of the pot and deglaze by removing any stuck bits on the bottom with a wooden spatula.
Then add the remaining broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring the pot back up to a boil and add in the rice and cayenne pepper.
Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
Serving Instructions
When you are ready to serve the chicken soup, ladle the broth with the vegetables, rice and broth into bowls. Be sure to fill the bowl no more than 2/3rds full.
Using tongs, remove a chicken leg quarter or thigh and place one in each bowl.
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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Rustic Chicken Soup Recipe
Classic chicken soup made hearty with brown rice and chicken leg quarters.
- 4 chicken leg quarters
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 3 stalks of celery – diced
- 3 large carrots – peeled and diced
- 1 clove of garlic – minced
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 2 cups brown rice (rinsed and drained )
- Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium high heat with just enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom.
- Add the chicken leg quarters to the pot and brown on each side (approximately 4 minutes per side)
- Remove chicken and set aside.
- With the chicken drippings still in the pot, add in the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables until the onions become translucent.
- Add in 1 cup of the chicken stock and deglaze the bottom of the pot.
- Return the chicken leg quarters to the pot. Add in the remaining stock and water. Bring to a low boil.
- Add uncooked rice and cayenne pepper powder.
- Simmer for 20 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through, adding additional seasonings if desired.
Serve in a bowl with a chicken leg quarter placed on top.
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms