Chicken and Rice Soup is a cozy, homemade meal that’s easy to make and always hits the spot. Tender chicken, hearty brown rice, and vegetables simmer together in one pot for a flavorful, comforting soup. Keep it brothy or stir in a little cream for a rich finish.
Serve it with crusty no-knead bread or fluffy dinner rolls and a simple green salad.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Chicken and Rice Soup
- Flavor: Savory, comforting flavor with tender chicken, brown rice, sweet carrots, and subtle notes of garlic, parsley, and thyme.
- Why Make It: Cooking the chicken and rice directly in the broth builds rich flavor while keeping cleanup easy.
- Budget Friendly: Rice and vegetables help stretch two chicken breasts into six hearty servings.
Total Time: 45 Mins Servings: 6 Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Total Time:
- 45 mins
- Serves:
- 6 servings
- Rating:
- 4.9/5
Ingredient Notes
- Vegetables: Cut the carrots and celery into small, even pieces so they cook evenly and you get tender vegetables in every spoonful. Use prechopped vegetables to save prep time, or stir in frozen mixed vegetables towards the end.
- Chicken Broth: Reduced-sodium broth or homemade chicken stock gives you more control over the salt level. Keep extra on hand at the end to add if the soup is too thick.
- Chicken Breasts: Use raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts so they can cook directly in the broth and shred easily. Boneless chicken thighs are another option; just check that they are cooked through before shredding.
- For an easy shortcut, add shredded rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken breasts once the rice is tender.
- Brown Rice: Use uncooked long-grain brown rice. Different varieties can have different cooking times. Instant rice is not a direct substitute.
- Evaporated Milk or Cream (Optional): Add evaporated milk for a lighter soup, or heavy cream for a richer, creamier soup. Be sure to use evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed milk.
How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup
- Sauté the vegetables and add the seasonings.
- Add broth, chicken, and rice (full recipe below). Simmer.
- Shred the chicken and return it to the pot.
Prefer to use your slow cooker? Try my Crockpot chicken and rice soup.
Save It for Later
- Refrigerate: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 4 months. Leave out the dairy when possible and add it after reheating.
- Thaw: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Warm on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring and adding broth as needed.
More Chicken Soup Favorites
Did you enjoy this Chicken and Rice Soup? Leave a comment and rating below.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 5 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts uncooked
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup evaporated milk or cream, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add garlic, parsley, and thyme, and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth, chicken, rice, salt, and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender and chicken has reached 165℉.
- Remove chicken from pot and shred. Add back to the pot with evaporated milk or cream if using.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Chicken, Lunch, Soup
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This is my second time making this soup in as many weeks. I used basmati rice. It is so delicious and filling, thank you!
This is the best chicken and rice soup that we have ever made! Thank you for posting it!
I have made this so many times. I have use brown rice and white rice. I usually cook them separately but last time I cooked the brown rice in it and we decided we like more rice. so I’m making it again with 1.5 cups of rice cooked in it and see how it goes. I have cooked it in a slow cooker and instant pot. I usually use the instant pot. I have switched out the thyme for Italian seasoning because that what I had on hand. Sometimes I put the milk in it and sometimes I don’t. I love how versatile this recipe is. Thanks for sharing!
wonderful meal !!
great meal !!
I loved this easy and delicious soup. I will definitely make it again.
This was tasty and came together quickly for a great dinner in a cold evening.
I made a variation of this by using leftover ground chicken sausage. I kept the base and veggies the same, but also added a small amount of spinach. It tasted like a a cross between chicken noodle and wedding soup, just with rice instead of noodles. I served it with a piece of crusty bread. So yummy!!
So good! I added pre-cooked chicken and rice, so it made it so easy to make. Very tasty and loved the added creaminess from the heavy whipping cream. Definitely a keeper!
I liked making this delicious & nutritious soup for my family. Thanks for this recipe. It got excellent reviews from my husband! It’s comfort food on a chilly winter day.
A nice change from chicken noodle soup, and healthy and easy too! It was very warm and comforting on these recent cold winter days.
Such great flavour for such a straight-forward recipe. I ended up adding a bit more broth as I simmered for a bit longer and the rice did absorb the liquid. the very definition of comfort food and it is going into the keeper file!
What a delicious and easy soup to make. I had some leftover cauliflower rice that worked perfectly. Definitely one to keep in the rotation!
Such a quick and easy recipe with ingredients we mostly have on hand! We all loved it and it kept well in the fridge for lunch the next day as well. #mealprepmadeeasy
I made this soup using wide noodles instead of rice as my husband is not a fan of rice. Also per one of your tips i cooked the noodles before adding to the soup and they didn’t absorb the liquid. Great tip!
My family loved the soup and said it is a keeper! Thank you again for a great recipe.
So Yummy!
What a great recipe for an easy dinner & tastes amazing.
Thanks for sharing!
I was able to put this soup together with items I had in my fridge and pantry. The little bit of cream added a special touch of flavor. I halved the salt because I was using better than boullion base.
Delicious soup! I added some extra carrots and celery and a little extra broth. Perfect for the subzero weather we are having!
brilliant
This soup was perfect for a cold winter day. I used fresh chopped parsley as I had it on hand. I didn’t add any dairy. Delicious!
Hi Holly!
Love your recipes and love a great chicken soup. This sounds delicious. A couple comments mention that they left out the cream or the evaporated milk. By leaving that out, how does that change the consistency and taste? Is it OK to leave it out? I too like a brothy chicken soup.
Thx Holly!
Thanks, Moonie! I am glad you are enjoying them. It does change consistency making it more brothy than creamy but it is fine to leave out if you prefer.