Chicken and Mushroom Soup Recipe

Introduction

This comforting chicken and mushroom soup is perfect for chilly days when you need a warm, hearty meal. Packed with tender chicken, earthy mushrooms, and wholesome vegetables, it’s easy to prepare and full of flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2 large carrots (peeled and diced)
• 1 rib celery (diced)
• 8 ounces brown mushrooms (or white mushrooms, sliced)
• 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning (or ¼ teaspoon ground sage)
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
• ½ cup long grain white rice (uncooked)

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Step 2: Add garlic and all seasonings (salt, parsley, thyme, poultry seasoning, black pepper). Cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Step 3: Pour in chicken broth, add the uncooked chicken breasts and rice. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Step 4: Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring once after 10 minutes to prevent rice sticking.
5. Step 5: After 15 minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred them with two forks.
6. Step 6: When the rice is tender, return the shredded chicken to the pot. Stir to combine and serve warm.

Tips & Variations

• For extra flavor, sauté the mushrooms separately to develop a deeper taste before adding them to the soup.
• Substitute brown rice for white rice, but increase cooking time to about 40 minutes and add more broth if needed.
• Add fresh herbs like thyme or parsley at the end for a bright, fresh touch.
• Use leftover cooked chicken to reduce cooking time—add it in step 6 instead of cooking raw chicken breasts in the broth.

Storage

Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm gently on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened. This soup freezes well; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use leftover cooked chicken instead of raw chicken breasts?

Yes, if you use cooked chicken, add it after the rice is tender (step 6). This reduces overall cooking time and prevents overcooking the chicken.

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

To make a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the chicken. You can add extra mushrooms or beans for protein.

Chicken and Mushroom Soup Recipe

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A comforting and hearty Chicken and Mushroom Soup featuring tender chicken breasts, savory mushrooms, carrots, and celery simmered in a flavorful chicken broth with fragrant herbs and long grain white rice for added texture and satisfaction.

• Author: Clara
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Soup Base

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 8 ounces brown mushrooms (or white mushrooms), sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Seasonings

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning (or ¼ teaspoon ground sage)
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Liquid and Main Ingredients

• 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each)
• ½ cup long grain white rice (uncooked)

Instructions

1. Sauté Vegetables: Heat butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots, celery, and sliced mushrooms. Cook and stir until the onion begins to soften and vegetables start to release their aroma, about 5 minutes.
2. Add Garlic and Seasonings: Stir in the minced garlic along with salt, dried parsley, thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Cook just until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Add Broth, Chicken, and Rice: Pour in the reduced sodium chicken broth. Add the uncooked chicken breasts and uncooked white rice to the pot. Stir to combine and bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Simmer: Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time, so around 10 to 12 minutes in. This allows the rice to cook and flavors to meld.
5. Shred Chicken: After 15 minutes of simmering, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred them using two forks into bite-sized pieces.
6. Combine and Serve: Continue cooking until the rice is tender and fully cooked. Then, add the shredded chicken back into the soup. Stir well and serve hot for a nourishing meal.

Notes

• Use reduced sodium chicken broth to control salt content.
• For a gluten-free version, ensure your broth and seasonings are gluten-free.
• You can substitute white mushrooms with cremini or button mushrooms for different flavors.
• Add fresh herbs like parsley at the end for extra freshness.
• Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently on stovetop.

Keywords: chicken soup, mushroom soup, comfort food, homemade soup, chicken and rice soup