Anti-Inflammatory Chicken and Rice Soup

This Chicken Rice Soup Recipe is the best healthy comfort food! It’s made with fresh ginger and turmeric, giving it anti-inflammatory properties!

Usually the words “healthy” and “comfort food” don’t go together. Today, that changes. This Anti-Inflammatory Chicken Rice Soup recipe is absolutely healthy and it’s the coziest meal I’ve had in a long time. If you’re looking for a comforting meal on a cold day, this recipe is the one. It’s so perfect on these chilly days!

As much as I love my Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup, I have been trying to more consistently cut wheat from my diet and add in as many ingredients that fight inflammation as I can. This soup was the perfect answer to what I needed. Side note: read more about the Anti-inflammatory Diet here.

The fresh ginger and turmeric that add anti-inflammatory properties to this soup also lend tremendous and unexpected flavor. I think you’re going to love this one!

Recipe Ingredients–What You Need

Brown Rice

Brown rice contains so many vitamins and minerals. It’s a great source of dietary fiber which is good for heart health.

Avocado Oil

I love cooking with avocado oil. It has an herbaceous flavor and is a great source of healthy fats. If you don’t have any on hand, olive oil will do!

Yellow Onion

Onions have an impressive list of health benefits. They contain antioxidants and compounds that can help fight inflammation and reduce cholesterol levels. They contain lots of nutrients and are high in vitamin C as well as vitamin B and potassium.

Carrots

Just like onions, carrots are packed with nutrients. They’re full of fiber, potassium, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, and vitamin B.

Celery

Although celery is 95% water, they still have some health benefits. Celery is a great source of antioxidants and has many compounds that help fight inflammation.

Garlic

Garlic adds incredible flavor and loads of nutrition. It contains many medicinal properties and can even help combat sickness including the common cold.

Ginger

Ginger is a great anti-inflammatory food. Certain chemical compounds in ginger can even help protect your body from germs.

Turmeric

Turmeric is used as both a spice and medicinal herb. It’s main active component, curcumin, has many anti-inflammatory properties.

Salt and Pepper

Just a little bit adds the perfect flavor to this anti-inflammatory chicken and rice soup!

Chicken Stock

While chicken broth is typically made from the meat, stock is made from the bones. It has a fuller and richer flavor and also more nutrients. It’s perfect in this chicken soup recipe.

Shredded Chicken

Chicken is a great source of lean protein. It’s a star ingredient in this soup. You can use leftover chicken from boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

Lemon Juice

Fresh lemon juices brightens the flavor of this soup and adds more anti-inflammatory properties.

How to Make This Anti-Inflammatory Chicken Rice Soup Recipe

1. Cook your uncooked rice according to package directions, or use my Instant Pot Brown Rice instructions.
2. While the rice is cooking, chop your onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger.
3. Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped vegetables
4. Sauté the vegetables until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another minute or two. Keep it at medium heat instead of medium-high heat to keep them from burning.
5. Add the chicken stock, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
6. Stir in the chicken pieces and cooked rice at the very end and Enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Tips

1. Consider making your own chicken stock. I have two recipe options for you: Instant Pot Bone Broth and How to Make Homemade Bone Broth in your Crockpot
2. I cooked a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and used some of the meat for this recipe. You can also use a rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken you have on hand.
3. If you don’t eat all of this soup in one sitting, it becomes quite thick as leftovers. You can resolve this by adding more stock to the soup when you reheat it.
4. If you’d like to make this a creamy chicken rice soup recipe, I suggest adding a little coconut cream at the end. 

FAQS

How do you keep rice from getting mushy in soup?

Since you add the rice in at the end, it shouldn’t get mushy.

Can you simmer soup for too long?

You should be able to simmer your soup for up to a few hours if you don’t plan on eating it right away. Just be sure not to boil it. Boiling it can cause your vegetables to become mushy.

Why is brown rice healthier than white rice?

Brown rice contains more nutrients than white rice. This is because brown rice is a whole grain which means it contains all parts of the grain. White rice is not a whole grain, and therefore is left with very few essential nutrients.

What’s the best way to shred chicken?

Using a hand mixer or 2 forks is an easy way to quickly shred chicken. Keep in mind, it’s a lot easier to shred chicken when it’s hot rather than cold.

What type of chicken is best for this soup?

Any kind will work. You can use chicken thighs are a great option, but you can also just use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store or any leftover chicken you might have on hand.

How should I store this soup?

You can store this delicious soup in an airtight container in the fridge.

How long will this soup last?

This anti-inflammatory chicken and rice soup should last in your fridge for 2-3 days.

How should I reheat this soup?

You can either reheat it on your stove top or the microwave until it’s warm.

Can I use a different kind of rice?

I like using long grain brown rice because it contains lots of nutrients, but you can use any types of rice you like. White rice can be more inflammatory, but it cooks faster. Jasmine rice will also work in this recipe. Use wild rice for chicken wild rice soup.

Can I use chicken broth instead of chicken stock?

I like the flavor chicken stock gives this recipe, but you can use chicken broth if you’d prefer.

More Anti-Inflammatory recipes for you to try!

If you love this healthy soup recipe and are looking for other anti-inflammatory recipes, I think you’ll love these!

• Cauliflower Soup with Coconut, Turmeric, and Lime
• Thai Salad
• Homemade Almond Butter
• Cranberry, Apple, and Pear Crisp
• Vegan Taco Salad Recipe
• Cranberry Smoothie
• Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Smoothie
• Red Cabbage Soup

If you make this Anti-Inflammatory Chicken and Rice Soup or any of my other healthy recipes, please share it on Instagram  and I’ll feature you! Also, if you try it, please leave a comment with a star rating below! Those star ratings are so helpful in helping my recipes get discovered. I appreciate you!

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Anti-Inflammatory Chicken and Rice Soup

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5 from 1 review

• Author: Maryea Flaherty of Happy Healthy Mama
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Chicken Rice Soup Recipe is the best healthy comfort food! It’s made with fresh ginger and turmeric, giving it anti-inflammatory properties!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups dry brown rice (about 4 cups cooked)
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 inch peeled ginger
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups chicken stock*(recipe notes 1)
• 3 cups shredded chicken**(recipe notes 2)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

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Instructions

1. Cook your rice according to package directions, or use my Instant Pot Brown Rice instructions.
2. While the rice is cooking, chop your onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and ginger.
3. Heat the oil in a large stock pot and add the vegetables as chop them.
4. Sauté the vegetables until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another minute or two.
5. Add the chicken stock, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 15 more minutes.
6. Stir in the shredded chicken, fresh lemon juice, and cooked rice and. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Consider making your own chicken stock. I have two recipe options for you: Instant Pot Bone Broth and How to Make Homemade Bone Broth in your Crockpot
2. I cooked a whole chicken in the Instant Pot and used some of the meat for this recipe. You can also use a rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken you have on hand.
3. If you don’t eat all of this soup in one sitting, it becomes quite thick as leftovers. You can resolve this by adding more stock to the soup when you reheat it.
4. Prep time includes cooking the rice.

• Prep Time: 45 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: soup recipes
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
• Calories: 501
• Sugar: 7.5 g.
• Sodium: 912.5 mg.
• Fat: 12.2 g.
• Carbohydrates: 66.3 g.
• Fiber: 3.9 g.
• Protein: 29.6 g.
• Cholesterol: 61.3 mg.