This Vietnamese chicken rice soup is a quick cheater’s version of the insanely soothing congee, the southeast Asian comfort food that’s simply rice slowly simmered in chicken broth. It’s typically cooked low and slow for hours, although here we make certain it’s on the table in less than an hour—without sacrificing anything in terms of taste. Perfect for whatever affliction you may have, whether of body or soul.Renee Schettler Rossi

A bowl filled with Vietnamese chicken soup with a spoon resting in it.

Vietnamese Chicken Rice Soup

4.89 / 9 votes
Vietnamese chicken rice soup is a quick and easy version of congee, a sensationally soothing southeast Asian elixir of rice, chicken broth, and ginger.
David Leite
CourseMains
CuisineVietnamese
Servings6 sevings
Calories260 kcal
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes

Ingredients 

For the soup

  • 1 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken legs
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 quarts water
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce, preferably Red Boat brand
  • 1 mild vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 3/4 cup uncooked rice, preferably long-grain jasmine, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

For the garnish

  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 6 fresh cilantro stems, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, crushed
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken legs with salt.
  • Bring the water and the fish sauce to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the chicken and reduce the heat to maintain a very delicate simmer.
  • Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, rice, and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until the rice grains are opaque, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rice mixture to the chicken in the stockpot. Continue cooking until the chicken is done, about 25 minutes. Remove the chicken and let it cool on a plate until it’s easy to pick and shred the meat. Continue to cook the rice until slightly overcooked and thicker.
  • Ladle the soup into warm bowls. [Editor’s Note: The author says if you’re making this to help ease a sickness, feel free to use the gentle steam as a sinus cleanse.] Garnish with the shredded chicken, scallions, cilantro, peanuts, and pepper.
Chefs & Company Cookbook

Adapted From

Chefs & Company

Buy On Amazon

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowlCalories: 260 kcalCarbohydrates: 21 gProtein: 14 gFat: 13 gSaturated Fat: 3 gMonounsaturated Fat: 6 gTrans Fat: 1 gCholesterol: 60 mgSodium: 1008 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 1 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @leitesculinaria or tag #leitesculinaria!
Recipe © 2017 Maria Isabella. Photo © 2017 Ken Goodman. All rights reserved.

Recipe Testers’ Reviews

This rather simple but flavorful Vietnamese chicken rice soup was exactly what I needed in my life. I haven’t been feeling the greatest the last week and nothing has been sounding great to me other than toast and cereal. Determined to get out of my nauseated rut, I was needing a good simple soup to warm me up and satisfy. This was that soup. The broth was just salty enough and the ginger helped with my stomach, but there was just a hit of freshness with the cilantro and scallions. This soup hit the spot in a way I desperately needed but will be welcomed this winter when we need a bit of warming up. Smelled so good! My rice cooked seriously fast, I ended up just turning the burner off and putting the lid on top of it to keep everything hot whilst waiting on the chicken. I was really surprise that I didn’t need to add more sodium to the broth! I actually found it to be salty enough. I did bring out the soy sauce just in case my husband decided differently. My husband did add some Sriracha and a touch of hoisin to his broth (I was perfectly fine with the way it was) to make it a bit more complex for him. I would definitely try that next time, when my stomach isn’t too sensitive.

This Vietnamese chicken rice soup came into my life at precisely the right moment—as soon as I was struck down with the flu. A warm, fragrant bowl of chicken soup was exactly what I needed. The idea to use chicken legs is a great one—you get a fast, fortified broth but without the tedious cooking and straining that we’re so familiar with when making stock from a whole carcass. Once the chicken cooks, the legs are easy to remove and the meat falls right off the bone in perfect quantities without having to be cut or shredded. If I take nothing else from this recipe, it will be that. The flavors in this soup are lovely and complement one another quite well. My only critique would be that there wasn’t nearly enough salt for my taste. Though I do appreciate that this is a matter of personal preference, I’d still add a bit more to the soup itself before serving. I let the finished soup cook for about an hour and a half as the rice was still thickening.

The beauty of this Vietnamese chicken rice soup is how just a few ingredients can really shine. I loved the broth produced by just the simmering of the chicken legs in the fish sauce, the skin of the chicken gave a bit of body to the broth and easily slipped off when I removed the chicken to shred it off the bone. The only real change I suggest is I would increase the ginger or perhaps grate it rather than mince, which would increase it as well as make the ginger flavor more available. When I reheated leftovers the second day, I grated another tablespoon of ginger. Also, the slight funk of fish sauce is NOT my personal favorite, but I found a small squeeze of fresh lime solved that for me. In the future (and for others who may not love fish sauce), I will probably use a mixture of Tamari or light soy + sake + miso, similar to how I make my vegan dashi. I love the comforting texture of the somewhat “dog-boned” rice, and will turn to this soup as a comfort all year round. Sautéing the rice with the ginger and garlic before adding to the broth reminded me of how my mother prepared rice pilaf. Be glad you have the chicken and broth in a tall stockpot, as when you add the rice and aromatics they will sizzle and splatter a bit when they hit the broth. I think a fresh broth like this is worth seeking the best chicken you can get—you only need 2 whole legs for this recipe. Also, be generous with the cilantro! Himself felt the peanuts were important and made it special. I bashed the peanuts gently in a baggie with a wooden machacadora (or bean masher, one of my favorite tools). I had everything from large chunks to finely ground nuts and the mixture really was nice in the garnish.




About David Leite

I count myself lucky to have received three James Beard Awards for my writing as well as for Leite’s Culinaria. My work has also appeared in The New York Times, Martha Stewart Living, Saveur, Bon Appétit, Gourmet, Food & Wine, Yankee, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and more.


Hungry For More?

Italian Sausage Soup

This Italian sausage soup is a cozy one-pot meal that’s laden with sweet sausage, tender gnocchi, spinach and topped with crispy pancetta.

30 mins

Gnocchi Soup with Bacon and Cheese

Who can resist a comforting bowl of tender gnocchi in a creamy, cheesy broth that’s laden with crispy bacon and plenty of vegetables? Not us.

1 hr 15 mins

Corn and Roasted Poblano Soup

Our testers are calling this creamy, comforting bowl of sweet corn and roasted poblano soup “the essence of summertime”. We couldn’t agree more.

1 hr 45 mins


Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I can’t count the number of times I’ve made this – it’s one of my favorites. Now one of my graduates is about to have her first baby, and I’d love to meal prep her some. How do we thing this would freeze?

    1. Ariadne (one of my all-time favorite names, btw), the rice will get mushy when frozen. My suggestion: Freeze the soup (minus the rice and garnishes). When you deliver your thoughtful prep, give your graduate a bag of cooked rice, which will keep in the fridge for up to 6 days.

      1. David, thank you so much for the thoughtful answer (and your compliments on my name!). I always value the attention you pay to your commentariat. I will do just that for her.