Simple Chicken and Rice Soup

SERVES 4 • PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES

Chicken soup exemplifies classic comfort food, and this one’s easy to throw together in a pinch. It starts with raw chicken, but you can cut out a step by starting with already-cooked chopped or shredded chicken. Either way, be sure not to skip the thyme, which adds a characteristic and inviting aroma to the soup without overpowering the other flavors.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ sweet onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

8 ounces chicken breast, diced

4 cups Simple Chicken Broth or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 cup cooked rice

Juice of 1 lime

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

1 In a medium stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

2 Add the chicken breast and continue stirring until the meat is just browned but not cooked through. Add the broth and thyme, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

3 Add the rice and lime juice. Season with pepper. Serve, garnished with parsley leaves.

Lower sodium tip: Choosing the Simple Chicken Broth over the store-bought variety will allow you to better control the amount of sodium in the finished product.

Per Serving Calories: 175; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 33mg; Carbohydrates: 19g; Fiber: 3g; Protein: 13g; Phosphorus: 217mg; Potassium: 403mg; Sodium: 227mg