Creamy Chicken and Leek Soup with Rice
A hearty one-pot soup where leeks and white wine build a savory base, chicken thighs simmer until tender, and a little cream and mustard round it out. Rice thickens the water as it cooks, so every spoonful is creamy and filling.
- Total
- 55 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 40
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Sweating · Deglazing
- Savory
- French
- Creamy
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Trim the leeks, halve them lengthwise, rinse well and slice into 1 cm half-moons. Cut the chicken thighs into 3 cm pieces and season with 0.5 tsp of the salt and the black pepper.
~10 min
Rinsing sliced leeks in water lets grit sink so it doesn't end up in the soup.
Rinsing the sliced leeks in a bowl of water lets the grit sink; lift them out rather than pouring the water off.
-
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes.
~8 min
Sweating leeks over medium heat softens them and builds sweetness without browning, which would make the soup bitter.
Sweating Cook leeks over medium heat until soft and translucent, not browned. Watch for gentle sizzling and no color; if they brown, lower the heat.
-
Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly golden on the outside, about 5 minutes. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits.
~7 min
Deglazing with wine lifts the browned bits (fond) from the pot, adding deep savory flavor to the soup.
Deglazing Pour wine into the hot pot and scrape up browned bits immediately. Let it bubble until reduced by half; avoid a rolling boil to prevent burning.
-
Stir in the rice, then add 1.2 l water and the remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C, about 20 minutes.
~20 min
Simmering gently lets rice release starch to thicken the broth while keeping chicken tender and cream from splitting.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the soup simmers, stir the mustard into the cream in a small bowl until smooth.
~2 min
-
Stir the mustard cream into the soup and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes until the water thickens slightly. Taste and adjust the salt, then ladle into bowls.
~3 min
Simmering uncovered reduces water and thickens the soup, while gentle heat prevents the cream from curdling.
The rice keeps thickening the soup as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a splash of water when reheating.