Brazilian Canja de Galinha, Chicken and Rice Soup

📍 Where this dish comes from: Belém · Ver-o-Peso Market
Discover the history of this region →

Canja is the chicken soup Brazilian mothers and grandmothers make for colds, for new mothers and for chilly evenings. Bone-in chicken simmers with vegetables into a clear, golden broth, finished with fresh herbs. Cauliflower rice gives the familiar rice-in-every-spoonful texture without the starch.

Per serving: 211 calories · 4.3 g net carbs · 28 g protein · 8 g fat (calculated from the ingredients)

What You’ll Need

Brazilian Canja de Galinha, Chicken and Rice Soup

Canja is the chicken soup Brazilian mothers and grandmothers make for colds, for new mothers and for chilly evenings. Bone-in chicken simmers with vegetables into a clear, golden broth, finished with fresh herbs. Cauliflower rice gives the familiar rice-in-every-spoonful texture without the starch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Brazilian

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 211kcal

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs skin removed (meat weight)
• 8 cups water
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1 small carrot finely diced
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups riced cauliflower
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add the chicken and brown lightly for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Pour in the water, add the salt and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam.
• Lower the heat, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes, until the chicken is very tender.
• Lift out the chicken, pull the meat from the bones and shred it. Return the meat to the pot and discard the bones.
• Add the carrot and celery and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower rice and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, just until tender.
• Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Stir in the parsley and scallion and serve hot.

Notes

Simmering the chicken on the bone gives the broth its body and flavor, so avoid boneless meat here. Add the cauliflower rice at the end; it softens fast and turns mushy if cooked too long. When reheating leftovers, add a splash of water as the broth reduces.

Chef's Tip: Squeeze a little lime into each bowl just before eating. A few drops brighten the whole soup.

Keto Swap: Canja always contains white rice, cooked until soft in the broth. Cauliflower rice keeps the look and texture while cutting the carbs dramatically.

Success Tip: For a family supper, set out lime wedges, hot sauce and grated Parmesan so everyone can finish their own bowl.

Nutrition is calculated from the ingredients and is an estimate per serving. Net carbs exclude fiber and allulose.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 211kcal | Protein: 28g | Fat: 8g | Fiber: 1.9g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About This Dish

Canja came to Brazil from Portugal, where it has long been the classic soup for anyone who is sick or recovering. The word is believed to come, through Portuguese contact with India and Southeast Asia, from kanji, a word for rice water and rice porridge in South Indian languages. Brazilian families traditionally serve canja to women after childbirth. It is also often served late at night at the end of parties and celebrations. Many Brazilians call it the perfect food for a cold, rainy day.

This recipe is from The Ultimate Brazilian Keto Cookbook by Gisele Costello, Chapter 3: Soups & Stews (Ver-o-Peso Market). See all Brazilian recipes