If you need a quick and hearty dinner, or are feeling a bit under the weather, then you NEED this chicken and rice soup! Ready in about 30-40 minutes, this soul-warming soup recipe is made with simple ingredients and can easily be adapted to your tastes.
This is one of my Soup recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
It’s finally starting to cool down so we can enjoy some chilly Fall weather, which means it’s absolutely soup season.
Not only are soups delicious, but they absolutely hit the spot on a cold evening
Plus, soup is great to make ahead of time, or at least prep ahead, which is absolutely perfect for those weeknights where you need dinner on the table pretty quickly!
This soup is hearty and savory; packed with plenty of tasty veggies, juicy chicken, and tender rice in a rich and slightly creamy broth. So grab a big piece of crusty bread, and let’s dig in!
How to make chicken and rice soup?
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Cook aromatics. Sautéing the vegetables softens them, as well as enhances their flavor.
- Add stock and bay leaf. Bay leaves add a subtle flavor that really goes well with almost any soup.
- Add chicken and rice. Remember, make sure you’re using dried long grain white rice.
- Simmer. Keep the lid off while it’s simmering, and stir occasionally.
- Add cream. Remove the bay leaf and add a splash of heavy cream for richness.
- Serve. Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley, and alongside some crusty bread.
Helpful Tip!
It’s very helpful to have all your vegetables be about the same size, so they cook evenly, and are done at a similar time.
Variations of this recipe
- Chicken – meals like this one are great if you have some leftover chicken in your refrigerator. We love to use a rotisserie chicken, as it adds great flavor. And if you’d prefer to use dark meat (like from chicken thighs), as opposed to white meat, please feel free.
- Raw chicken – if you’d prefer to make this recipe using raw chicken, you can add one or two boneless skinless chicken breasts when you add the chicken stock. Let it come up to a high simmer, and simmer uncovered for 10-18 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken, or until it reaches 165°F. Remove to a plate, then add the rice and proceed with the rest of the recipe. While the soup is cooking, shred the chicken and add it back to the pot.
- Veggies – carrots, celery, and onion are the classic vegetables used in a chicken soup, but if you’d like to use different ones (like squash when it’s in season, etc) you absolutely can.
- Chicken stock – we prefer to use a reduced sodium chicken stock, but if all you have is regular, omit the salt. Then when the soup is finished cooking, give it a taste and add some salt as needed.
- Rice – this recipe was tested with long grain white rice. Other varieties will work, but likely have different cooking times, and could potentially need more liquid.
- Dairy – adding the splash of heavy cream adds a wonderfully creamy mouthfeel, as well as a bit of richness. You can omit it completely, or substitute with evaporated milk, half and half, or whole milk.
FAQ’s
Unfortunately, it can take on a somewhat mushy texture. Rice absorbs stock/broth as it cooks, and during storage. Cooking it all together definitely saves on dishes! However, if you’ll be storing leftovers, I do recommend cooking the rice separately.
While I’m absolutely certain that it can be cooked in those other ways, I haven’t tested it to be certain on the times. I’ll give my estimations on cooking instructions in the “chef tips” section of the recipe below.
Making soup ahead of time
In general, soups are amazing to make ahead, since most of the time they actually taste better the next day! All the flavors have had time to really meld together.
However soups that have grains or pasta in them can be tricky to make ahead, as the pasta/grains will absorb more of the liquid in the soup than you’d like.
I’ve found you have two options for soup recipes like this one (with grains and/or pasta):
Prep ahead:
- Chicken – if you’re using cooked chicken that isn’t shredded, you can shred it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated.
- Veggies – the carrots, celery, and onion can be chopped and kept refrigerated.
- Spices – the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and paprika can be measured, combined, and stored at room temperature.
Cook rice separately:
- If you want to still make the soup ahead of time, you can cook the rice separately.
- Make sure to store the soup and rice separately as well, then just reheat them together.
Storage
Leftover soup should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 3-4 days. Keep in mind, that the rice will absorb some of the broth and be a bit mushy.
If you plan to keep a large portion of this soup as leftovers, I highly advise cooking the rice separately, and storing it separately.
Freezing
This soup can also be frozen for longer storage.
Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat.
Just as with making this soup ahead of time, it will freeze best if you cook the rice separately, and freeze it separately as well.
More Hearty Soup Recipes:
My Favorite Soup Pot!
This is my secret weapon in the kitchen! I use mine for making bread, soups/chilis, frying and more. Since LeCreuset is expensive, this is a more economical option that’s still a great pot!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 medium to large yellow onion peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken stock 64 oz stock, broth can be used as a substitute
- 3 cups cooked and shredded chicken from a rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- minced fresh parsley for garnish
- crusty bread optional side
Instructions
Saute vegetables
- Heat a dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup pot over MED heat. Once hot, add butter and let melt.
- Add carrots, celery, and onion to pot. Season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and paprika and stir.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes, or until softened. Add bay leaf.
Add stock, chicken, and rice
- Pour in chicken stock, shredded chicken, and rice. Stir well.
- Bring up the soup up to a simmer, then simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and rice is cooked.
Stir in cream and serve
- Remove bay leaf, then stir in heavy cream. Let cook a few minutes until heated through, then serve hot (garnished with fresh parsley and served alongside some bread).
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Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated that this recipe serves about 6-8, however I don’t measure my serving sizes precisely, and the exact serving size is up to you.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- As mentioned earlier in the post, these are estimations, as I haven’t specifically tested this recipe in the slow cooker.
- With pre-cooked chicken:
- Omit butter.
- Add all ingredients (except chicken, rice, and heavy cream) to the insert of a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4.
- Remove bay leaf. Cook rice separately and set aside, and add shredded chicken and heavy cream to the slow cooker about 45 minutes before serving.
- To serve, add rice to a bowl, then top with a couple of ladles of the soup. Stir and garnish.
- With raw chicken:
- Omit butter.
- Add all ingredients (except rice and heavy cream) to the insert of a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4.
- Remove bay leaf. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred.
- Cook rice separately and set aside, and add shredded chicken and heavy cream to the slow cooker about 15 minutes before serving.
- To serve, add rice to a bowl, then top with a couple of ladles of the soup. Stir and garnish.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- As mentioned earlier in the post, these are estimations, as I haven’t specifically tested this recipe in the Instant Pot.
- With pre-cooked chicken:
- I would saute the carrots, celery, and onion in the butter in the Instant Pot.
- Add seasonings, rice, stock, and the bay leaf and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Perform a quick pressure release, then turn the saute function back on.
- Remove bay leaf, then add heavy cream and shredded chicken.
- Serve as desired.
- With raw chicken:
- I would saute the carrots, celery, and onion in the butter in the Instant Pot.
- Add raw chicken, seasonings, rice, stock, and the bay leaf and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
- Let the pot sit (performing a natural pressure release) for 5-8 minutes, then turn the valve to release any remaining pressure.
- Turn the saute function back on.
- Remove bay leaf, then add heavy cream and shredded chicken.
- Serve as desired.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
maureen says
what kind of instant pot do you have Thank You in advance
The Chunky Chef says
This is the model I have: https://amzn.to/3RBjbkZ
Sandra says
This is so good and seriously comforting! Thanks for the recipe!
Catalina says
Chicken soup is my favorite fall soup! I love all the flavors in it!
Erin says
Looks incredibly delicious! Can’t wait to make this!
Beth says
This looks so good! I love making chicken soup in any form when the weather gets cold.