Heating a deep cast-iron pot over medium heat. Add your chicken pieces (I used bone-in chicken breasts) and fill the pot with water (5 cups). Cover and let it cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and tender
Prep the veggies while the chicken is boiling. Chop and dice the onion, celery and carrots.
Once done, skim off the white foam that forms on top of the broth and discard it. Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and strain the broth into a mason jar, this will be your homemade chicken stock for the soup
In a large deep pot, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, diced carrots, and celery. Sauté for about five minutes, until the vegetables become soft and translucent.
Pour in your prepared chicken broth (the pot should be about three-quarters full) and then stir in the uncooked rice. Cover and let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is almost cooked (al dente).
While the soup is simmering, beat two eggs in a separate bowl and squeeze in the juice of one full lemon. Whisk until smooth. Gradually ladle a bit of the hot broth into the egg mixture while whisking continuously, this helps to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble. Once it reaches a smooth, creamy consistency (like thin custard), it’s ready to go into the soup.
Slowly pour the lemon-egg mixture into the pot of soup while stirring. Season with salt and any other flavors (optional) you like black pepper, lemon pepper, or herbs all work beautifully.
Shred the cooked chicken and stir it into the soup. Let everything simmer for another 5 minutes, or until the rice is perfectly tender and the soup thickens slightly.
That’s it, your lemon chicken and rice soup is ready to serve! It’s warm, tangy, and full of flavor... the perfect bowl to brighten any day.
