Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

With the sun shining brighter and the fresh scent of spring in the air, it's time to say good-bye to Old Man Winter and trade in our hearty soups for something a little lighter. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a hot bowl of Lemon Chicken Rice soup and for me, there's nothing that screams sunshine more than the bright taste of lemon.

This recipe is inspired by a soup that a family run restaurant in our neighbourhood used to serve. We used to go with friends to the Park Tower regularly so we were crushed when they closed their doors forever. They served burgers and Greek homestyle food and their Lemon Chicken Rice soup was a crowd favourite. This recipe is a nod to Bill & Kathy, the owners, of the old Park Tower Restaurant.

INGREDIENTS

- 8 cups of homemade chicken broth or two 32 oz/900 mL cartons of low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken (optional)
- 2 carrots chopped
- 4 celery sticks chopped
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 or 2 lemons
- kosher salt
- pepper
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare your rice as per the package directions
2. Pour chicken broth into a large pot and turn the heat to high
3. Chop vegetables and add to chicken broth
4. Add salt and pepper (to taste), basil and parsley to the soup
5. When the soup begins to boil turn the heat down to medium and cook until the vegetables are tender but not mushy and then take off the heat
6. When the rice is cooked, add the rice and the chopped chicken to the soup
7. Squeeze the juice of one or two lemons into the soup and stir


* sometimes lemons aren't super juicy so you may need an extra lemon if one isn't giving your soup a lemony flavour

** you can use any rice of your choice for this soup. Basmati rice tends to keep its shape better in soup whereas long-grain white rice will start to curl and the starch comes out more. A bit of wild rice will give you a rustic touch!


Serves 12

​Have a great day and Love Good Food! ❤️