Made deliciously creamy with rice, this comforting and fragrant chicken soup with homestyle Italian appeal is both light and filling all at once. Bring out your inner nonna and serve up generous bowls to your loved ones.
Remove green top from fennel and discard. Halve fennel, remove the core and discard, then thinly slice. Thinly slice spring onion, keeping the white and green parts separate. Peel and crush garlic.
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add fennel and white spring onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add garlic and lemon zest and stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add 1 litre (4 cups) water and stock cube to saucepan and bring to the boil. Add chicken and rice, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken with tongs, place on a plate and set aside to cool slightly while you continue with step 4.
Continue to cook rice for a further 4–5 minutes or until cooked through and tender.
Using clean hands or two forks, shred chicken. Roughly chop dill. Stir chicken and dill through soup and season with salt and pepper.
Cut lemon into wedges. Divide soup between bowls and top with green spring onion and parmesan. Sprinkle with pepper and serve with lemon wedges.