Name: Chicken Cilantro Soup with Rice and Vegetables
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: PT-491712H11M18S
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups short grain brown rice; 4 cups filtered water; ½ teaspoon sea salt; 4 cups sliced carrots; 2 cups diced red bell peppers; 1 cup chopped celery; 1 cup chopped mushrooms; 2 cups frozen broccoli florets, small; 2 teaspoons cumin seeds, grind using mortar and pestle; 1 tablespoon dried marjoram flakes; 1 ½ teaspoons ground paprika; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes; 1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt; 14 cups unsalted chicken broth (homemade, if possible); 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon mirin, optional; 2 cups cubed or shredded cooked chicken; 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro, loosely packed; Diced avocado; Plain yogurt or sour cream; Shredded Monterey jack cheese

WHEN THE DAY BEGS FOR SOUP RAIN OR SHINE!

This craveable chicken cilantro soup packs in plenty of nutrient dense vegetables and whole grains for a full meal in a bowl.

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ABOUT THIS CHICKEN CILANTRO SOUP RECIPE

Keep homemade broth on hand so you can whip this soup up, and many other delicious soups, any time you please. With golden broth already made, soup comes together easily. This one takes about an hour and twenty minutes, with only 20 minutes of prep time.

Chop fresh carrots, red bell peppers, celery, and mushrooms. Grab some frozen broccoli florets, and prepare the herbs and spices. The ingredient list looks long, but they’re simple ingredients. They don’t require much preparation. You do need a well-stocked spice section in your pantry though.

Now, for assembly. We add and simmer, add and simmer, add and simmer. Then it’s done. Rich, flavorful and nutritious—ready for the delicious toppings we might momentarily consider avoiding, but then add double.

HELPFUL EQUIPMENT
12-quart stock pot
Soup ladle

INGREDIENTS
short grain brown rice
sea salt
carrots – sliced
red bell peppers – diced
celery – chopped
mushrooms – chopped
broccoli florets – small and frozen
cumin seeds – grind using mortar and pestle
dried marjoram flakes
ground paprika
ground turmeric
dried thyme leaves
dried parsley flakes
unsalted chicken broth – homemade, if possible
apple cider vinegar
mirin – optional, adds flavor but don’t skip making the soup if it’s not in the pantry. I use the Eden organic version.
cooked chicken – cubed or shredded
chopped cilantro – fresh and loosely packed
diced avocado
plain yogurt or sour cream – low temp vat pasteurized and organic
shredded Monterey jack cheese

PREP BEFORE COOKING

Hopefully you already made chicken broth, but if not, I highly recommend making it with this recipe: Easy Chicken Broth from a Whole Chicken

Otherwise, use your favorite homemade chicken broth recipe. The best soup comes from homemade broth.

HOW TO SERVE

Serve the soup hot with or without your choice of toppings.

Diced avocado
Plain yogurt
Sour cream
Shredded Monterey jack cheese

Intentionally serve leftovers. This soup tastes excellent the next day.

chopped vegetables for nutrient rich soup

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Simmer the soup.
Keep the size consistent when you chop the vegetables.
Use high quality herbs.
Rinse the rice well before cooking. Consider soaking it overnight the night before.
For the best flavor, taste each chopped vegetable before adding it to the soup. Individual ingredient taste matters.

WHAT TO AVOID

Do not boil.
Skip store bought broth. Use homemade.
Avoid including too many cilantro stems when you chop the cilantro.
Don’t avoid making the soup if you don’t have mirin. Simply skip it this time.
Don’t toast the brown rice too long. Just toast it until it smells toasty or a burnt flavor may ruin the soup.

STORAGE AND LEFTOVER TIPS

Store in the refrigerator in glass lock containers, a stainless-steel instant pot insert, the pan you cooked it in, or glass mason jars.
Glass mason jars work well for freezing.