Chicken & Rice Soup with Cheese Quesadillas
Published Oct 16, 2019 Updated Jul 11, 2023
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If you are searching for a CHEAP and SIMPLE meal, look no further. My Chicken and Rice Soup served with a side of Cheese Quesadillas is sure to bring a smile to the whole family.
If you are looking through your fridge and trying to make something work with very little on hand, I’m sure this recipe will save the day. Not only was this meal a win for my husband, but my kids also gobbled it up and asked for seconds.
What do you need for this Chicken and Rice Soup?
- Boiled or rotisserie chicken
- Frozen or canned peas and carrots
- Chicken broth
- Salt and pepper
- Rice of choice (I used brown, but you can also sub cauliflower rice)
That’s it, 5 ingredients will get dinner or lunch on the dinner table. Additionally, serving this soup with a cheese quesadillas will not only add a little texture to the meal, but will help keep you full longer.
Remember, meals don’t have to be 5 stars every single day of the week. Sometimes it is nice to throw something together that is not only comforting, but that also requires minimal ingredients and minimal clean up. Sometimes I hate thinking about what I am going to make for dinner. It can be so time consuming. Simply use what you have on hand and create something like this that will keep your families belly full.
Chicken & Rice Soup with Cheese Quesadillas- Recipes for Hope
Ingredients
Chicken & Rice Soup
- 4 cups shredded chicken can you boiled chicken breast or even use rotisserie chicken
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups brown rice or cauliflower rice
- 1 12 oz bag frozen peas and carrots
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Cheese Quesadillas
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 2 cups shredded cheese or cheese of choice
- 1 tbsp ghee divided
Instructions
Chicken & Rice Soup
- Place a large pot over medium heat and add the ghee along with the minced garlic. Mix together for a minute or so.
- Transfer the shredded chicken to the pot and allow the ghee, garlic and chicken cook together for 3-4 minutes. (This gives the chicken a great flavor)
- Pour in the chicken and beef broth in the pot with the chicken. Bring the liquid to a boil and then add the . Add in the rice and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the frozen peas and carrots in the broth and allow all this to cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
Cheese Quessdillas
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ghee and allow to melt down completely.
- Place one large tortilla in the bottom of the skillet and evenly add the shredded cheese on top of the tortilla.
- Place the second tortilla on top of the cheese. Cook 2 minutes on each side until browned and cheese melted.
Notes
- To make this Paleo and Whole30 compliant, simply sub cauliflower rice for the brown rice. Peas are now Whole30 compliant. Rules changed Feb 2020
- For the shredded chicken you can use rotisserie chicken. Just remove the skin and shred using a fork.
- To cook the chicken for the soup, bring a pot of water on the stove and add four chicken breast. Boil the chicken until the internal temperature is 165F. This will take about 6-7 minutes or so. Drain the water and shred the chicken once it is cooled. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken.
- The nutritional facts are for 1 serving of the soup and does not include the cheese quesadilla.Â
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Do you cook the soup with or without the lid?
You can do either way. I usually will add a lid.
The soup looks so yummy. I’m going to make it tonight but only have frozen chicken. Dumb question but can I use frozen chicken? I also don’t have beef broth on hand. Can I sub it with something else?
Yes you can use frozen chicken. Any kinda of broth will substitute nicely.
Can’t wait to make this
🙂
This looks delicious!!
Thank you 🙂
Made this last week and it was so tasty. The ghee and garlic….. YUM!
So happy to hear! Thank you
Should I cook the chicken before putting it in the pot? Also is it okay if I have boneless chicken breasts?
I was searching for an easy chicken and rice soup last week and tried this one and it did not disappoint! My husband even said to be sure to save this one! Super easy to make and delicious!
So happy to hear, Tonya! Thank you
Looking forward to making this warm soup next week since our weather will be in the negatives! Does the brown rice need to be cooked when I pour it in?