Smoky Chicken, Corn and Rice Soup

Sometimes when I cook rice, I cook a bit extra with the aim of making chicken fried rice, or stir fry, but this time I used it to make soup. I had no potatoes to add to my soup as a thickener, so I used the cooked rice I had instead.

I wanted to make soup to serve with the left over gougeres (cheese puffs) I had left from the night before. 

The corn added sweetness but also acted as a thickener, and some of it was kept whole and added at the end, along with the diced chicken. I rubbed the chicken with smoked paprika and ground cumin, to add a touch of heat and smokiness.

My husband was a bit skeptical about the rice in the soup, but went back for a second helping, and ate some for lunch the next day...

On a plate, combine the spices:

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Cut the chicken breasts into strips, and rub all over with the spice mix.

You will need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Set aside until needed.

In a heavy bottomed pan, on medium high heat, cook:

1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pinch of salt and pepper

Cook until the corn starts to colour slightly.




Remove the corn from the pan, reserving the pan for making the soup.

In the reserved pan, cook the seasoned chicken strips. Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed to prevent sticking.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool. Reserve the pan.

Heat the pan again, keeping it at a low heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, and cook until softened and starting to caramelize:

1/2 large onion, diced

When the onions are softened and golden, add:

4 - 5 garlic cloves.

Cook for another couple of minutes.

Add:

3 cups chicken stock.

Bring to a boil.

Stir in:

the cooked corn, reserving 1/2 cup
1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Simmer until the corn, onions and rice are fully cooked and soft.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree until smooth, using a hand blender.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer, and return to the pot.

Reheat the soup, over a low heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more chicken stock if needed, to achieve the right consistency.

Add in:

the reserved 1/2 cup of corn
the cooked chicken, finely diced



Serve the soup, garnished with grated cheese if you wish. I also served it with warm cheese puffs, left over from the previous night.

• The amount of chicken that I cooked was a bit too much for the soup, so I used about half and saved the rest for another use.
• Increase the spiciness by adding chipotle pepper, ancho chili or cayenne pepper to the spice blend.
• I forgot about the rice absorbing more liquid while cooking in the soup, and had to add extra chicken stock to thin the soup out. The rice can be halved, with one half being added at the end along with the chicken and corn.
• If you would prefer to use potato, add one large potato instead of the rice.
• Leftover roast chicken, or turkey, can be used instead of cooking chicken breast. It can also be omitted.
• I used smoked white cheddar, but any cheese can be used. Diced avocado, chopped green onions can be added as a garnish as well.