Many years ago, I was a line cook at Perry St, a restaurant in New York City’s West Village, where we had a seemingly simple chicken and vegetable soup on our menu. What set it apart from standard recipes of its kind was the hefty dash of salt and bright lime juice we finished the dish with, which always produced a mouth-puckering-yet-can’t-stop-spooning reaction from our guests. 

Easy, Lemony Chicken & Rice Soup with Dill

Serves: 6 to 8 (makes 10 cups) 
Prep time: 10 min 
Cook time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 2ribs celery, finely chopped
• 1large carrot, finely chopped
• 1medium parsnip, cored and finely chopped
• 1medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1dash kosher salt, to taste
• 1dash freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 4sprigs dill, plus ½ cup finely chopped dill (and optional fronds for garnish)
• 3 to 4sprigs thyme
• 1bay leaf
• 2quarts chicken broth
• 1 1/2pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2cup fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• 1/2teaspoon MSG, plus more to taste

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, parsnip, and onion, and cook until slightly softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Using kitchen twine, tie the dill sprigs, thyme sprigs, and the bay leaf together into a little bundle and add to the pot, along with the chicken broth, 1 cup water, and chicken pieces.
2. Partly cover and bring to a simmer; cook, skimming occasionally, until broth is slightly reduced and chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the herb bundle. Add the rice, stir, cover, and cook 15 minutes more.
3. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the finely chopped dill, lemon juice, and MSG, adding more lemon and MSG to taste.

https://food52.com/recipes/77994-easy-lemony-chicken-rice-soup-with-dill