Chicken and Rice Soup

By Maria Lichty

Published on January 14, 2025

View RecipePin Recipe4.56362

Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Rice Soup

• Quick and Easy: Made with minimal ingredients and simple steps, this soup comes together in no time—perfect for busy weeknights or when you’re feeling under the weather.
• Comforting and Nourishing: A warm, hearty bowl of this soup provides the ultimate comfort with tender chicken, soft rice, and a rich, flavorful broth.
• Family-Friendly: With its mild flavor and simple ingredients, this soup is a hit with both kids and adults, making it perfect for family meals.
• Perfect for Meal Prep: It stores well in the fridge for several days, making it an excellent choice for meal prepping for the week ahead.

When the weather turns chilly or you’re craving something warm and nourishing, few dishes hit the spot like a hearty bowl of chicken and rice soup.

This easy recipe is not only simple to make, but it also requires just a few pantry staples and delivers big flavor in every bite. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or looking for a meal that will keep well for the week, this chicken and rice soup has you covered.

Key Ingredients

You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some ingredient notes before you get started.

• Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and celery are the perfect start to this delicious soup! If you want to add extra vegetables, peas, corn, and potatoes are all good options.
• Chicken: To keep this soup recipe super simple, I like to use rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken. If you use raw chicken, you’ll want to cook it through before shredding or dicing it and adding it to the soup.
• Rice: White rice works best for a quick-cooking, soft texture. If you prefer brown rice or wild rice, it will require a longer cooking time, so adjust accordingly (about 40-45 minutes of simmering). You might also need extra broth.
• Chicken Broth: For the best flavor, use a high-quality chicken broth or stock. Low-sodium broth helps control the salt content, but you can always add more salt as needed.

Variations to Try

• Make it Creamy. For a richer texture, stir in a splash of heavy cream or milk toward the end of cooking. Alternatively, you can make a roux (flour and butter mixture) to thicken the broth slightly.
• Add Lemon. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of lemon zest at the end for a bright, citrusy twist.
• Give the soup a kick. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a diced jalapeño for some heat.
• Try Different Herbs. Experiment with different herbs like oregano, parsley, or dill to infuse more layers of flavor into the soup.
• Swap turkey. If you have leftover turkey, use shredded cooked turkey instead of chicken.

How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup

• Prepare the Veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, cooking until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for another minute until fragrant.

• Simmer the Soup: Pour in the chicken broth, and add the cooked chicken, rice, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the flavors meld together. If the rice soaks up too much broth, you can add a little more.
• Season to Taste: Remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed.

• Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley. Enjoy with crusty bread for a complete meal!
• Slow Cooker Option: If you want to make the soup in the crockpot, you can! Simply sauté the vegetables in a pan, then add everything (except the rice and chicken) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add rice and cooked chicken during the last 20-30 minutes of cooking.

Storing and Reheating

• Storing: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature before transferring it to airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: For longer storage, freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: To reheat from the refrigerator, place the soup in a pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer. Add extra broth if needed, as the rice may have absorbed some of the liquid. For frozen soup, defrost overnight in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

More Soup Recipes

• White Bean Soup
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Classic Chicken Noodle Soup
• Potato Soup
• Homemade Vegetable Soup
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

If you like this soup, check out all of our SOUP RECIPES!

Soup

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

This chicken and rice soup is a nourishing meal, that's easy-to-make. It provides warmth and comfort when you're feeling under the weather or craving something comforting.

4.56 from 319 votes

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 4

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Equipment

• Large Pot (I love my Staub Dutch oven for soup!)

Ingredients

  

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• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups chicken stock or broth, or more as needed
• 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, we use rotisserie chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley, for serving

Instructions

 

• Place a large pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and cook for 1 more minute.
• Pour in the chicken broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Add in the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. If the rice soaks up too much of the broth, you can add 1 to 2 more cups.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Notes

For the shredded chicken you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken and shred it.

To cook the chicken for the soup, bring a pot of water on the stove and add two chicken breast, that have been cut into large pieces. Boil the chicken until it is cooked all the way through and there is no pink left. This will take about 7 minutes or so. Drain the water and shred the chicken once it is cooled. I use 2 forks to shred the chicken. You can also use leftover turkey in this soup recipe. You can use wild rice or brown rice, it will just take a little longer to cook!

If the soup gets too thick, add more chicken broth. 

Nutrition

Calories: 366kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 1022mg, Potassium: 729mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 5125IU, Vitamin C: 37.5mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 2.3mg

Keywords chicken, chicken and rice soup, rice

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