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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!