Garlic Chicken Rice Soup with Spinach and Parmesan – So good! This Instant Pot soup should come with a warning label! Ready in 30 minutes, this easy chicken and rice soup packs a ton of flavor, thanks to the garlicky infused butter with crispy garlic slices. It’s a healthy chicken soup that’s perfect for chilly days and you can make it ahead and freeze for a busy week. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the chicken and rice soup
- 1 lb. (450g) skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 small onion, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2/3 cup white rice, preferably short-grain, rinsed
- 8 cups (2l) low sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Juice of one lemon
- Freshly ground black pepper
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1. To make the garlic oil: Heat butter in the insert of your Instant Pot in saute mode. Add sliced garlic and cook until golden brown, 3–5 minutes. The garlic will continue to cook and darken slightly after it’s off the heat. Transfer to a small bowl, leaving one tablespoon garlic oil in the insert. Stir 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes into the melted garlic butter and set aside.
2. To make the parmesan chicken and rice soup: Cook onion in garlic oil in the insert of the Instant Pot, still on saute mode, stirring occasionally until onion is translucent and beginning to take on some color, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Stir in rice and give a quick stir to coat rice with onion and butter. Add chicken, a pinch of salt, and pour in chicken stock and stir to combine. Close the lid and cook on pressure mode for 20 minutes.
4. Do a quick release and, using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate and let sit until cool enough to handle. Shred meat with two forks. Keep the Instant Pot on reheat mode while you’re prepping the rest of your ingredients (this will concentrate the flavor of the broth).
5. Add spinach, parmesan and shredded chicken to the insert. Continue to reheat, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, cheese is combined and chicken is warmed through, about 4 minutes.
6. Turn off the Instant Pot. Squeeze in lemon juice, season with salt if needed, and stir to combine. Divide the Instant Pot chicken and rice soup among bowls. Drizzle with the reserved garlic-chili butter (reheat quickly if necessary to melt butter), then top with a few grinds of black pepper. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
