Melissa
· Updated
There’s almost nothing cozier than this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup! Crunchy vegetables, juicy chicken, and tender rice are cooked perfectly in chicken broth to create this hearty spin on a classic soup.
Chicken rice soup is a classic comfort meal! It’s the perfect dish to round out a chilly winter evening, drizzly afternoon, or sick day. The best part is that this chicken rice soup is loaded up with good ingredients that you will often have right in your pantry, ready to use.
Chicken and Rice Soup
I usually serve this soup with homemade dinner rolls; they’re perfect for sopping up those last few bites that your spoon can’t reach. And believe me, this soup is so satisfying and savory, you’ll want to lick your bowl clean!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken—Cooked thighs or breasts diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Rice—I like to use a long-grain white rice like basmati or jasmine. You could also use wild rice or brown rice.
- Vegetables—A classic mixture of diced carrot and diced celery will add a crunch and earthy sweetness.
- Chicken Broth—Or chicken stock for a more robust flavor.
- Heavy Cream—For a silky, rich texture.
- All-Purpose Flour—Thickens this chicken rice soup.
- Butter—Salted.
- Garlic Powder—Or some freshly minced garlic if you have it on hand.
How to Make Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
- In a large pot, melt the butter. Once it is melted, add the carrots, celery, and garlic powder. Allow the veggies to cook until tender.
- Stir in the flour and mix until the veggies are coated.
- Add the rice, chicken broth, and diced chicken to the pot. Make sure the broth completely covers the rice.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and allow the rice to cook.
- Stir in the heavy cream and let the soup finish warming through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is not necessary to cook the rice before adding it to this chicken soup. When you add the rice, it will cook in the chicken broth and absorb all of the tasty flavors! Alternatively, you can use leftover cooked rice in this soup, but it may not soak up the chicken broth as much as the uncooked rice.
The best types of rice to add to soup are brown rice, red rice, black rice, basmati rice, and wild rice. You can also use any short-grain rice such as paella rice or sushi rice. If you opt to use a short-grain rice, it will need to cook for quite some time before becoming soft. Long-grain rice, on the other hand, will cook a bit quicker. I recommend watching your soup closely as it simmers—you don’t want to serve over or under cooked rice!
Yes, rice will absorb whatever liquid it is cooked in. So, adding uncooked rice to your soup will allow it to absorb some of the broth as it cooks. However, rice will also continue to absorb liquid once it has cooled down. So, you might need to add a splash or two of water right before you serve this chicken and rice soup.
What Goes Well with Chicken and Rice Soup?
This hearty and savory chicken rice soup is easily customizable, and there are many great ways to serve it! You can garnish this dish with some shredded cheese or fresh herbs for a pop of color. If you want to add more variety and nutrition to the soup, you can toss in some spinach or peas. Chicken and rice soup is the type of main course that goes well with all kinds of side dishes. For a balanced meal, serve it with a side of roasted green beans or butternut squash and a fluffy homemade dinner roll.
How to Store and Reheat Chicken Rice Soup
This chicken rice soup tastes wonderful as a leftover meal! You can easily store it in the fridge to save for later. Place the soup in an airtight container and you can enjoy it for up to 5 days. You can reheat this soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Just be aware that this soup will thicken as it sits in the fridge. If it becomes too thick, you can add a half cup of water or broth to thin it out.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have any heavy cream, don’t panic! You can use half and half in a pinch and will still end up with a delicious soup.
- To cut down on prep time, buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco and replace the diced chicken with shredded rotisserie chicken. This will save you time and add a little extra flavor to your soup!
- You will know the rice is ready when it is tender. Be sure to keep an eye on it so you do not overcook it.
More Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups white rice
- 3 cups cooked diced chicken see notes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter. Once the butter is finished melting, add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic powder. Allow the veggies to cook for about 5 minutes, or until soft and tender.
- Stir in the flour until it is homogenous with the veggies and butter. Add your rice, chicken broth, and diced chicken to the pot. Make sure the broth completely covers the rice.
- Bring the chicken broth to a boil and allow then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot and allow the rice to cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, stir in the heavy cream, dried thyme and allow the soup to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This soup will thicken as it sits and will be much thicker when reheated.
- You can store your leftover soup in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Your soup can be reheated on the stovetop or you can reheat a single serving in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes.
- This soup is great topped with some parmesan cheese or freshly ground black pepper.
- If you are using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon of salt.
- To cut down on your prep time, grab a rotisserie chicken from Costco and replace the diced chicken with shredded rotisserie chicken. This will also add a little extra flavor to your soup.
- If you don't have some cooked chicken you can just up a few chicken breasts and cook the meat with the veggies.
- You can add additional chicken broth to the soup once the rice has if you like a thinner soup. An additional 2 cups would not too be too much if you want a soupier soup.
- If you do not have any heavy cream, you can use half and half in a pinch.
Nutrition
Chicken and rice soup stands as a timeless comfort meal, ideal for warming up chilly winter evenings, comforting drizzly afternoons, or soothing sick days.
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