In Cabo Verde there is a very popular soup called Canja de Galinha. This soup is perfectly comparable to chicken and rice soup, and is a new favorite in my kitchen. This chicken and rice soup recipe is delicious, and very low maintenance. It is brothy and flavorful, and the chicken cooks so wonderfully!

Front view of two bowls of soup with vegetables in the background

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I am so excited for you all to try this Canja de Galinha, or chicken and rice soup. Though the inspiration for this recipe came from Cabo Verde, this is truly a recipe that can be enjoyed anywhere and by anyone. The ingredients are easy to find and fairly inexpensive for the amount of servings that you get out of this soup.

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What’s in Chicken and Rice Soup?

Chicken thighs
Chicken stock
Onion
Celery
Carrots
Potato
Rice (I use white rice, but you can also use wild rice!)
Bay Leaves
Thyme
Parsley
White pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Parmesan Cheese

How to Make this Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

In a large pot, add chicken with onions, bay leaves, and stock. Bring to boil for one hour.

Remove the chicken from the stock and allow to cool. Once cooled enough to handle, shred the chicken.

Add chicken back into pot with celery, potatoes, carrots, thyme, parsley, and seasoning. Allow to cook for 30 more minutes.

Cook the rice on the side.

When it comes time to serve, put a scoop of rice in the bowl with a ladleful of soup.

Can Chicken and Rice Soup be Frozen?

Yes, this chicken and rice soup can be frozen for up to six months. I would recommend freezing the broth portion of the soup and remaking fresh rice to serve the soup with whenever you thaw it. This way, the rice won’t get soggy in the soup or soak up any of the extra broth.

Chicken and Rice Soup with Chicken Thighs

My favorite part of cooking with chicken is always using the chicken thighs. They are the most tender and, to me, the tastiest part of the chicken.

If you would prefer to use the chicken breast in this chicken and rice soup instead of chicken thighs, you can easily do so. Just replace the thighs in this recipe with breasts!

Do You Cook Rice Before Adding it to Soup?

Yes, the rice is cooked separately before adding it into the soup. As each individual bowl of soup is served, I put some rice in the bottom instead of adding the rice into the big pot of soup.

I found that adding the rice into the soup to cook was delicious, but it became difficult to regulate. As the rice cooked and cooled, it soaked up the broth of the soup.

If there was soup in the fridge that was being saved, the leftover container almost always lost most of the liquid in the container when the rice was stored alongside it.

Conversely, storing the rice separate from the broth solves this problem. The rice does not soak up the liquid of the rice, and you can add as much rice to your soup as desired! It’s a win-win!

What Kind of Rice is Best for Soup?

I used long grain white rice for this soup recipe, but you can honestly use whatever you’d like! Because the rice cooks separate from the soup, you simply follow the cooking instructions on the back of your rice package. This way, the cook time of the soup will not change.

Because you’re not worrying about cook time, you can focus on what taste you’d like your soup to have! If you’d like brown rice, you can do that! Jasmine rice, wild rice.. they’re all options that are open to you.

You can choose to cook your Long Grain White Rice on the stovetop, or you can use this guide to cook your Long Grain White Rice in the Instant Pot.

Can I Use Cooked Chicken in this Soup?

Yes! If you have leftover chicken from dinner a few days ago (or even better, a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store), you can definitely use the precooked chicken in your Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe!

If you’re using precooked chicken, simply add it into the soup after the rest of the ingredients have finished cooking. You can add as much or as little chicken as you’d like.

You can even choose not to add chicken if you’d like to keep this recipe vegetarian. My Sopita recipe or Mexican Shells and Cheese can be served with or without a protein meat added to it as well. Best yet, it’s a super fast meal that comes together on a busy night.

How Long Can You Keep Chicken and Rice Soup?

If you want to save your Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days.

If you’d like to prolong the shelf life, you can also freeze your chicken and rice soup recipe.

Make sure to store it in an airtight container, and it will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Eating your soup before the 6 month mark will ensure the highest quality, but it will still be safe if eating it after this time frame.

If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review letting me know! And if you make it, don’t forget to share a photo on Facebook or Instagram by tagging @TheForeignFork and hashtagging #TheForeignFork.

Did you like this soup recipe? Make sure to check out these other soup recipes that I have featured on The Foreign Fork:

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Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe