Instant Pot Meal: Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup

A Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup to soothe your soul.  The perfect winter meal made in the Instant Pot, even on a weeknight!

 

Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup 

Here's another great soup recipe that will warm you right up this winter.  It's filled with chicken, veggies, rice and a savory broth that brightened with dill and lemon juice.  This one is made in the Instant Pot but can be converted to make on the stove top or even the slow cooker.

Take advantage of cooking the chicken right in the broth which results in a beautiful savory flavor infused broth right in the Instant Pot.  Skip the rotisserie chicken – this is better!  Soup is the perfect family meal.  This once cooks in no time so it's perfect for a weeknight, but honestly, any night is soup night in our house!  

What Ingredients do I need?

• Chicken breasts
• onion
• carrots
• celery
• low-sodium chicken broth
• garlic
• dill
• lemons for juicing
• cooked basmati rice
• bay leaves
• Parmesan cheese

Substitutions and Variations

• Most types of rice is great for soup. White, brown, wild rice, basmati and jasmine rice are all great.
• More veggies (chopped zucchini, stir in chopped kale or spinach, bell peppers)
• Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs, or a touch of other dried herb
• Try adding a can or two of diced tomato for a light tomato based soup (I would remove the dill and the lemon juice from this version)
• Add crushed red pepper flakes for a little spicy heat.  
• Chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Be sure to remove the bay leaves before serving 
• Dill is a great fresh herb in this soup.  It really compliments the lemon and the chicken and brings a bright flavor to the soup. 
• Parmesan Cheese added to the soup at the end add great flavor, a little saltiness, and makes the soup a little creamier.
• Rice - I do not like my pastas and rices soaking up all of my luscious broth!  To get around this I cook the rice separately or use leftover rice and add it to the individual bowls as I'm serving it.  The soup warms the rice and it saves my broth!

How to store Leftover Chicken and Rice Soup

• For storing - I would store the rice and soup separately to avoid the rice from soaking up all the broth. The soup will last for several days in the refrigerator or may be frozen for 3 months.  Leave a little headspace at the top of your container if freezing.  Soups tend to expand when frozen.

ADD A SOUP DUNKER!

 Crostini

 Mom's Cornbread

 Cheddar Biscuits

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Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup 

serves:  8

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large onion, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups  low-sodium chicken broth 
1 - 1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 bay leaves
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup fresh dill, chopped
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 cups basmati rice, cooked

Turn you Instant Pot on saute.  Add the olive oil.  Saute you carrots, celery, and onion for about 5 minutes to get come color on them, and until they slightly soften.  Add in the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.  Hit the cancel button to turn off the saute feature.  Add in the chicken broth, chicken breasts, salt and pepper, and bay leaves.  Place the lid on and turn the steam knob to "sealing". 

Push the Pressure Cook or Manual button and set for 14 minutes.  Once the time is up release the pressure by turning the knob to release.  Open the lid and remove the chicken breasts.  Shred the chicken and return it along with any accumulated juices to the pot.  Stir in the lemon juice and fresh dill and stir to combine.  Add the Parmesan cheese and stir.  Hit cancel to turn off Instant Pot.

To serve, place a 1/3 cup of rice in a bowl and ladle in the chicken soup.  Serve immediately.

More soul warming broth soups

• Quick and easy Tex-Mex Chicken Soup
• Made from scratch ChickenTortilla Soup in the Instant Pot

• Instant Pot: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

• Wonderful flavors of Slow Cooker Lighter King Ranch Chicken Soup
• Homemade Minestrone Soup

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Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Salad

 A wonderfully fresh and easy to pull together winter salad that makes a great weeknight dinner.  It's bursting with the flavors of lemon and rosemary which make for one heck of a flavor combination! 

Yum

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Salad

If you're in a pinch and need a quick meal I've got one for you.  This wonderful salad is bursting with bold flavors.  Meyer lemons and rosemary are the stars here but they also have some help from earthy radishes, slightly bitter escarole, and delicate shallots.  Meyer lemons can be found during the winter months, are less acidic and a little sweeter than regular lemons.  They are wonderful in this salad.

This is the perfect salad for lunch or a light dinner.  Serve it alongside some crusty bread, pita, cornbread, and even a bowl of soup if you would like.  This salad can be made from winter through summer using regular lemons.  It's full of protein, very satisfying and can be done in under 30 minutes.  We simply loved it!  

What is the best time for this salad?

• Meyer Lemons are available beginning in November and run through March.  This is a great winter salad
• Perfect for lunch or a light dinner
• Serve for a Garden Party
• A bridal shower
• A Ladies Tea
• Girls Night In
• Hectic family nights
• Weeknight meals
• Whenever you are short on time

What do I serve with this salad?

• One hour dinner rolls
• 7-Up Biscuits
• Simple Garlic Cheese Bread
• Simple Cheddar Biscuits
• Mom's Cornbread
• The Best Herby Bread
• 3 Ingredient Gnocchi Soup
• Homemade Minestrone Soup
• Tuscan White Bean Soup
• Easy Tomato Soup

What Ingredients do I need?

• Meyer Lemons (found in the Winter months)
• Shallot
• Escarole
• Chicken Breasts
• Fresh Rosemary
• Radishes

Substitutions and Variations

• Substitute regular lemons for the Meyer lemons
• Try navel or Cara Cara oranges for a different take
• Use chicken thighs instead of breasts
• Use Italian kale or spinach instead of escarole
• Use Easter radishes
• Use jicima or parsnips for the radishes
• Try to stick with fresh rosemary as it will provide you with the most pungent flavor, however you can use dried rosemary if necessary

Kitchen Tips and Notes

• Chop your ingredients before you start, to cut down on overall time
• Slice chicken breasts horizontally to make thin cutlets
• You can buy thin cutlets if you prefer
• The recipe can be enlarged or decreased as needed easily
• Oil the chicken breasts so the herbs adhere and stick to the meat while cooking
• Meyer lemons are found during the winter months - substitute regular lemons if unavailable

Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon & Rosemary Chicken Salad


servings: 4


2 Meyer lemons
1 small shallot, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 8 ounces chicken breasts, halved horizontally
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 head escarole, trimmed and chopped - about 4 cups
4 – 5 radishes, thinly sliced

olive oil for cooking

Prepare the dressing:  Juice 1 lemon into a small bowl.  Stir in the shallot, and add a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add the olive oil and which until emulsified.  

Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with rosemary. Lightly douse the chicken with olive oil. Grill 5 minutes or until golden brown on one side. Turn; cook 5 to 6 minutes more or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.

Meanwhile, cut thin slices from the remaining lemon.  Cut those slices in to quarters.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add the chopped escarole and radishes. Toss with enough dressing to coat.  You may have extra.  Place dressed greens on a platter and arrange chicken on top.  Drizzle with a little more dressing. 

adapted from bhg.com

Sweet and tender Sugar Cookies are the base for every holiday occasion with good reason.  They can be rolled out and cut into whatever shape you desire and decorated to your heart's content!

Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe

Everyone needs a Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe and this one, from my mom's recipe collection, is one we've made for years.  While the recipe has stayed the same I have adjusted the method over the years to yield the best results.  I dare say this is one of my favorite cookies of all time.

Just in time for Christmas, this cookie is easy to make and creates a tender sweet cookie that holds it's shape.  Perfect for cutting out cute Christmas shapes as I have done here and leaving on a plate for Santa this Christmas eve.

What can you use sugar cookies for?

• Perfect with dessert served with milk
• Eat them plain or decorated
• Use them for ice cream sandwiches
• Dunk them in milk
• Perfect for any holiday celebration, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Halloween, Graduation
• Serve them at a Tea Party
• Serve them along with an ice cream parfait, or pudding

What ingredients do I need?

• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• sugar
• butter
• egg
• vanilla

Substitutions and Variations

• Substitute almond extract for the vanilla
• mix-in can be added such as sprinkles, flavored chips (chocolate, white chocolate, cinnamon etc), or chopped candy bars
• Make drop cookies or form cookies by hand
• Decorate with Royal Icing, sprinkles, sanding sugar, frosting, pretzels, chopped nuts, oreo crumbs, chopped dried fruit

Kitchen Notes and Tips

• Bake on parchment paper so they don't over brown
• Remove from the oven just when the edges start to brown
• Roll out the dough evenly so the cookie all cook at the same rate.
• Splurge on a good pure vanilla extract
• Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to prevent spreading.
• Keep you working surface lightly floured - too much flour will create a dry cookie.
• Measure flour the "right way" - loosen the flour by giving it a good stir with a spoon or whisk. Next, spoon the flour into a measuring cup until heaping (piled beyond the rim of the measuring cup) and then level with the flat side of a knife. 

Enjoy!

Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe

makes: 2 dozen 4" cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To a large bowl add flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add in the flour mixture a little at a time.  Remove dough to a board and divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, until soft enough to roll. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. 

Cut out cookies using desired cutters or templates. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Chill cookies until very firm, about 15 minutes,

Bake cookies until edges just start to turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes then remove to cool on wire racks.