Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
This hearty Chicken and Rice Soup is loaded with healthy ingredients like vegetables, rice, and chicken in a flavorful Chicken Stock. It will be on your regular rotation in no time.
We love homemade chicken soups from classic Chicken Noodle Soup to Chicken Tortilla Soup. If you enjoy comforting chicken soups, this Chicken and Rice Soup recipe checks every box.
What is Chicken and Rice Soup?
Chicken and rice soup is a healthy soup made with an aromatic vegetable base of onion, carrot, and celery. It’s very similar to chicken noodle soup but uses rice instead of pasta. The chicken breast is added to the broth and cooked until the chicken is tender and easy to shred (see the pro-tip below to ensure juicy chicken in your soup every time). This soup is ready in under an hour with 15 minutes of prep and just over 30 minutes of cook time.
Ingredients
As with most of our recipes, this chicken rice soup uses simple ingredients that are usually in your pantry and refrigerator. There’s no need to run to the store for an extra special ingredient with this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need (scroll down for exact measurements in the print-friendly recipe card below).
- Veggies – Onion, carrot, and celery are the trifecta base ingredients in a good soup. Add any of your favorite vegetables to the soup, making sure to cut them into evenly sized pieces first.
- Oil – Olive oil (or avocado oil) is used to saute the aromatics.
- Chicken – Bone-in or boneless chicken breast or thighs work wonderfully in this recipe. Chicken thighs are actually often said to have more flavor.
- Chicken broth – Use homemade chicken stock for best results, but store-bought chicken broth will work in a pinch. A good broth can make all the difference, so get a good quality one if using store-bought.
- Rice – No need to cook the rice before adding it to the soup. Instead, use uncooked rice. Use brown rice for a more nutritious version, but be aware that brown rice does take longer to cook compared to white rice.
- Spices – Add a few bay leaves, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Herbs – Garnish with fresh dill, parsley, or any of your favorite soup herbs.
Pro Tip: Use up any leftover Roast Chicken or rotisserie chicken in this soup. Simply add the cooked shredded chicken to the broth after the rice is fully cooked.
How to Make Chicken Rice Soup
Chicken rice soup is one of the easiest soups to make because it’s a one-pot meal. Follow these steps, adding the ingredients in the correct order for the best soup.
- Saute the vegetables: Preheat a large soup pot with olive oil and add vegetables. Stir and saute over medium heat until lightly golden.
- Add remaining ingredients: Add chicken breast (or chicken thighs), rice, spices, and chicken broth. Boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and shred. Return back to the pot after fully shredded.
- Season to taste: Add herbs and further season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tip: The soup cooking time can vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breast. Cook until chicken is just cooked through (165˚F for chicken breast meat or chicken thigh meat). You can check this with an instant-read thermometer.
Tips for the Best Chicken Rice Soup
What is a recipe without a few good hacks from the kitchen? Follow these tips for a consistently tasty bowl of soup each time.
- Add more broth as needed: Rice tends to absorb liquid as it sits, so add broth when needed.
- Season with your favorite spices: Personalize this soup by adding any of your favorite herbs and spices. Bay leaves are a must for a good soup, but thyme, fresh parsley, and dill are also our favorites! Squeezing in a garlic clove at the end is also a great way to flavor soup as we do in our Borscht Recipe.
- Chop veggies evenly: To ensure veggies are evenly cooked and have a great texture, chop them all into equal-sized pieces.
- Use uncooked rice: By using uncooked rice, you allow the rice to absorb the delicious flavors of the broth. Cooked rice can be used instead and added after the chicken is cooked, but it won’t be nearly as tasty.
Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat a dutch oven or soup pot with oil over medium heat, add in onion, carrots, and celery, and saute until lightly softened and golden, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add chicken, rice, bay leaves, chicken broth, water, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered at a light boil for 25-30 minutes, or until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.*
- Remove chicken from the soup, shred it into small pieces and add it back to the soup then remove from heat.
- Add herbs, season to taste if needed, and serve.
