Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe

When the weather gets chilly, there are a few things that come to mind — one of those being hot chocolate and the other being a big bowl of soup. Both are warm and delicious, and quite honestly, both are no-brainers, because who doesn't want to enjoy something cozy on a cold day? While there are plenty of other foods and beverages that hit the spot, we love soup in particular, because it's filling and because it genuinely warms the soul. 

This recipe is served with plenty of healthy veggies and protein like shrimp and chicken. Recipe developer Stephanie Rapone of Pantry to Plate Meals came up with this tasty dish, and we love it for so many reasons. "This soup is a simple and healthy weeknight meal, and the sizzling rice gets my kids interested in eating it — even all the veggies," Rapone raves. "I love it for a mid-week healthy dinner. It's light and satisfying at the same time." Keep reading to find out how to make this wonderful dish in your own kitchen.

Gather the ingredients for sizzling rice soup

Are you ready to get things started? If so, make a list of ingredients that you will need to whip up this tasty recipe. For starters, you will need some frozen cooked rice. You could even use leftover rice if you'd prefer. In addition, purchase kosher salt and an oil that's good for frying.

In terms of veggies, you will need shiitake mushrooms and some boneless skinless chicken breasts. For another protein, add shrimp. Many of the remaining ingredients add flavor to this dish. These include oyster sauce, cornstarch, and garlic. You will also need a few other veggies like a carrot, baby bok choy, and some vegetable broth. Last but not least, add snow peas, sugar snap peas, and sesame oil to your shopping cart.

Preheat the oven, and bake the rice

Right off the bat, you'll want to stroll over to your oven, and preheat it to 325 F. That way, it has a little time to warm up before you need to use it. Then, take out a rimmed baking sheet, and line it with parchment paper. Grab your leftover or cooked rice, and spread it over the parchment paper. Season it with a bit of salt. Wait for the oven to finish preheating, and then pop the rice in. Set your timer for 25 minutes, and bake it until it's thawed and dried.

Prep the ingredients

Grab a pot, and throw in 2 cups of water. Place it on the stove, and bring the water to a boil before you remove it from the heat. Add the shiitake mushrooms, and then cover the pot with a lid. Let the mushrooms soak for at least 10 minutes.

While the mushrooms soak, you can prep the other ingredients. Grab a cutting board, and mince the garlic. Then, wash the carrots, and thinly slice on a bias. You can also thinly slice the snow peas. 

Next, rinse the baby bok choy, and cut the leafy greens from the white parts. Chop the leafy greens into 2-inch pieces, and set them aside. Then, cut the white parts into 2-inch pieces, and set them aside separately from the green parts.

Slice the chicken and then the shrimp

Next, grab the chicken and a sharp knife, and slice it thinly into ¼-inch slices. Then, combine the chicken with 2 teaspoons of water, the oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Set it aside, and then tend to the shrimp. Using the same knife and cutting board, cut it into ¼-inch pieces, and set aside.

Now, take out another large pot, and add 4 cups of water to it. Once the water starts to boil, add the chicken, and stir, cooking it for about 45 seconds until opaque. Then, remove it from the water, and set aside.

Cook the shrimp

Don't put the pot away just yet. Add the shrimp to the boiling water, and stir it again. Cook the shrimp for 30 seconds until they turn opaque. Then, remove the shrimp from the water, and set them aside. Now, you can dump out the water, and then set the pot to the side. Wipe the inside of the pot to clean it.

Then, remove the mushrooms from the water they were soaking in, and save the liquid. Cut off the woody stems and, if needed, thinly slice the mushroom caps.

Cook the veggies

Grab another pot, and place it on your stove. (If you want, you can also use the same pot that you had used for the previous step.) Turn the heat up to medium, and add 2 teaspoons of oil. While the oil starts to heat up, throw in the sliced carrots and your shiitake mushrooms. Sauté them for about a minute, and then add the garlic, and give it a good stir. Continue to sauté everything for another minute, and then add the baby bok choy stems (the white part), followed by the peas. Cook the mix for another minute.

Add the chicken stock

Now, add in the chicken stock and the reserved liquid from the mushrooms. Leave any solid bits behind since you just want the broth in the soup. Then, allow the soup to come to a simmer.

Once the soup comes to a simmer, add the chicken and shrimp. Cook for a minute, and then add the leafy green parts from the baby bok choy. If it stopped, bring the soup to a simmer again, and add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and sesame oil, and then stir. Taste the soup, and add any additional seasoning, if needed.

Heat the pot, and fry the rice

Okay, now add the oil to a medium cooking pot so it's 1 to 1 ½ inch deep. Be sure you still have 2 inches of space from the top of the oil to the top of the pot since the oil will bubble up. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350 F. Use a thermometer to make it hits the right temperature. In the meantime, ladle the soup into serving bowls.

When it's ready to serve, fry the dry toasted rice in the oil until it's crispy (for about 30 seconds). You will probably need to do this in three batches. Put the crispy rice into the soup immediately, straight from the oil, and watch it sizzle.

Serve and enjoy this tasty soup

Now, it's time to enjoy the soup, which is the best part of this recipe. The bowl of soup would be great on its own, but it would also be wonderful with a piece of crusty bread or even some oyster crackers. This soup makes a fair amount, so be sure to keep the leftovers.

"The soup leftovers are great in the fridge for up to five days and can definitely be frozen," Rapone shares. "However, the rice should be fried and enjoyed right away, as it loses it texture pretty quickly." We hope you enjoyed this as much as we did!

Sizzling Rice Soup Recipe
5 from 42 ratings
This sizzling rice soup recipe is a simple and healthy weeknight meal.
Prep Time
15
minutes
Cook Time
38
minutes
Servings
4
Servings
bowl of sizzling rice soup
Total time: 53 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen cooked rice (or 1 ½ cups cooked rice)
  • ⅛ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup snow peas or sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
  • 3 heads baby bok choy
  • ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons oyster sauce
  • ½ pound small shrimp, chopped into ¼-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons oil + more for frying
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Spread the rice over the parchment paper, and season with ⅛ teaspoon of salt.
  4. When the oven gets to temperature, bake the rice for 25 minutes, until thawed and dry.
  5. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the shiitake mushrooms, and cover with a lid. Soak for at least 10 minutes.
  6. While the mushrooms are soaking, prep the other ingredients. Start by mincing the garlic.
  7. Then, wash the carrot, and thinly slice on a bias.
  8. Thinly slice the snow peas.
  9. Next, rinse the baby bok choy. Cut the leafy green parts from the white parts. Chop the leafy greens into 2-inch pieces, and set them aside. Cut the white parts into 2-inch pieces, and set aside (separate from the green parts).
  10. Thinly slice the chicken into ¼-inch slices. Then, combine the chicken with 2 teaspoons of water, the oyster sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.
  11. Chop the shrimp into ¼-inch pieces.
  12. Boil 4 cups of water in a large pot. Add the chicken, and gently stir the chicken in the water, cooking it for about 45 seconds, until opaque. Remove from the water, and set aside.
  13. Add the shrimp to the boiling water, stir, and cook for 30 seconds, until opaque. Remove, and set aside. Discard the water, and wipe out the pot.
  14. Take the mushrooms out of the water, saving the liquid. Cut off the woody stems and, if needed, thinly slice the caps.
  15. Set the pot over medium heat. Add the oil, then add the carrots and shiitake mushrooms, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the garlic, and stir, sautéing for 1 more minute. Then, add the bok choy stems (the white parts) and the peas, and cook for 1 minute.
  16. Add the chicken stock and the reserved liquid from soaking the mushrooms (but leave any solid bits behind — you just want the broth in the soup).
  17. Allow the soup to come to a simmer.
  18. Add the cooked chicken and shrimp. Cook for 1 minute, then add the leafy green parts from the bok choy.
  19. Bring the soup to a simmer, and add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt and the sesame oil, and stir. Taste, and add any additional seasoning, if needed.
  20. Add oil to a medium-sized cooking pot, up to about 1 to 1 ½ inches deep. (Make sure you still have at least 2 inches of space from the top of the oil to the top of the pot, as the oil will bubble up). Heat over medium heat to 350 F. Use a thermometer to ensure the right temperature for the oil.
  21. Ladle the soup into serving bowls.
  22. When ready to serve, fry the dry toasted rice in the 350 F oil until crispy, about 30 seconds. (You will likely need to do this in 3 batches.)
  23. Put the crispy rice in the soup immediately, straight from oil, and watch it sizzle.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 324
Total Fat 7.5 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Trans Fat 0.0 g
Cholesterol 99.3 mg
Total Carbohydrates 39.6 g
Dietary Fiber 2.6 g
Total Sugars 6.0 g
Sodium 1,050.3 mg
Protein 24.0 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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