Sometimes I want a comforting bowl of chicken soup but don’t have the time to labor over the stove with multiple steps. Even when you have a cold and have a desire for chicken soup but are tired, you’ll be able to cook this up in a few minutes.

This recipe uses chicken broth from a box or can, but it still works nicely. Make sure to use a high-quality store-bought broth. Here a simple mix of onion, carrot, tomato and zucchini enrich the broth. If you prefer dark meat chicken go for skinned and boned chicken thighs and cook a little longer to make sure the thigh meat is cooked through.

Long grain rice is recommended here so the soup does not become thickened and the rice keeps its shape. Long grain rice contains less starch than other varieties. When combined with heat and liquid, it releases less starch than shorter grain varieties.

I like the addition of the tomato here to bring a bit of sweetness to the broth. Fresh mint adds a hint of sweet and bitter to this simple, comforting soup. Save this recipe for the next time you are in need of a comforting bowl of chicken soup with limited time for cooking.

Quick Chicken and Rice Soup

Serves 4 to 6

Note: Traditional white and brown rice, jasmine rice and basmati rice are examples of long grain rice.

1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken broth

1/4 cup long grain white rice

1 onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced

1 tomato, peeled and sliced

4 sprigs fresh mint

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan bring the chicken broth to a simmer on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken. Simmer for about 2 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and reserve.

2. Add the rice, onion, carrot, tomato, and mint sprigs. Simmer on medium heat until the vegetables and rice are soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the zucchini and reserved chicken to the soup, and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes or until the zucchini is tender. Remove the mint sprigs, and ladle into soup bowls. Garnish with chopped mint and serve immediately.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)

©2025 Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.