Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup is a creamy new twist on a classic favorite.

There are multiple surprises with this recipe. First, there’s the bold flavor of curry, an unexpected but delicious enhancement to chicken soup. Dill also makes a herby debut. Then, there’s the creamy texture of the pureed jasmine rice. Who knew that could be such a game-changer? Carrots and a finishing squeeze of lemon add color and a pop of brightness and balance.

The Chicken Soup That Changed My Mind

Confession time. I don’t really care for chicken soup. It’s always seemed bland to me. But this Curried Chicken Soup with Rice completely changed my mind. It reminded me of the Pumpkin Ravioli with Curry Sauce I shared in a previous post.

Tips & Tweaks for Making Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

The original recipe by Food Network Magazine included a number of suggestions in the comments. I’ve listed below the ones I incorporated, along with some ideas for shortcuts.

Curry Powder – the source recipe calls for Madras curry. While more of a specialty spice, Madras is a little spicier due to chili peppers that are added to the spice blend. I used regular curry powder I had on hand and added a pinch of dry mustard and cayenne, as suggested by a website for substitutions. I also doubled the amount of curry based on the recipe comments.

Chicken Options – This recipe uses a bone-in chicken breast cooked in broth. If you’re using a double breast portion be sure to cut it in half before cooking using these steps:

1. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board with the bone side facing up.
2. Locate the natural crease in the breast and use it as a guide.
3. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut alongside the bone, starting at the top and working your way down until the breast is separated into two halves.

Note – My chicken breast was a single 1 1/2 pound piece (what do they feed these birds?) Because it was so thick, it required 35 minutes to cook. I scooped the carrots out of the broth and set them aside after 20 minutes so they didn’t get too soft.

Easy Option – You could also opt for shredded cooked rotisserie chicken instead. If you try this option, cook the carrots in the broth with the bay leaf, then add the shredded chicken and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

Rice – I really enjoyed the thick creaminess of the pureed rice. But I also wished there was some additional rice in the soup. So, when I heated some soup up the next day, I added some additional cooked rice, which I think enhanced the recipe. I’ve included this as an optional step.

Additional Ingredients – Soup is very flexible, so you can add other ingredients if you desire. In addition to the rice on my second day reboot, I added some cooked peas. This gave the soup additional color and more veggie goodness.

Herbs – The source recipe suggests chopped mint, which I omitted. Give that a whirl if you’re interested.

Lemon – I am a huge fan of lemon and found it added a perfect counterbalance to the curry. I squeezed half of a lemon into my pot of soup before I packaged it into individual servings for the freezer.

Interested in More Soup Recipes?

Here are some of my favorite soup recipes. You can also search for additional ideas on the Soup and Salad Recipe Index

Spicy Sausage Sweet Potato Soup

A hearty soup with Italian sausage, sweet potatoes, white beans, and kale in a creamy broth, similar to Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana.

Check out this recipe

Ham and Pea Soup

Ham and Pea Soup is a fresh lighter take on a classic recipe with chicken broth and the added goodness of tomatoes, potatoes, beans, and kale.

Check out this recipe

Northwoods Wild Rice Soup

Northwoods Wild Rice Soup is a creamy blend of wild rice, chunks of chicken and ham, veggies and a delicious splash of sherry.

Check out this recipe

Curried Chicken and Rice Soup

A creamy style chicken soup with curry, carrots, dill, pureed rice, and a squeeze of lemon.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Adapted from Curried Chicken and Rice Soup by Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in chicken breast about 1 1/2 pounds, halved if it's a double breast
• 2 medium carrots sliced diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon curry powder Madras or regular
• 1/2 cup jasmine rice uncooked
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1 lemon cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup frozen peas optional
• 1 cup cooked jasmine rice optional

Instructions

• Combine the chicken, carrots, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Add 3 cups broth and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is just firm, about 20-35 minutes (see note below on cook time.)
• Meanwhile, heat the butter in another saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt; cook covered until the onion is soft, 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup of rice and the remaining 3 cups broth. Increase the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the rice falls apart, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from its broth; discard the skin and shred the meat into pieces. Return the shredded chicken to the same broth.
• Puree the rice mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (or use a regular blender, then return to the pan – see note below). Pour in the shredded chicken and broth, stirring gently to combine; bring to a simmer. Add the chopped dill and serve the soup with lemon wedges. Optionally, you can squeeze the lemon directly into the soup. Start with half of a lemon, taste, and decide if additional lemon is desired.

Notes

• My chicken breast was a single 1 1/2 pound piece. Because it was so thick, it required 35 minutes to cook. I scooped the carrots out of the broth and set them aside after 20 minutes so they didn’t get too soft.
• See the optional step in the post for using cooked shredded rotisserie chicken.
• Let soup cool for 5 minutes before using the standard blender option, and only fill the blender half full.