Chicken and Rice Soup

A quick and easy soup that’s perfect for winter days! Chicken and Rice Soup is similar to traditional homemade chicken noodle soup, but with rice instead of noodles. It’s an easy way to switch up your favorite soup recipe. Hearty, comforting and filling plus a one pot dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!

A bowl of warm chicken and rice soup is one of my favorite meals when it’s cold. I love it because it’s one of my simple soup recipes and doesn’t take hours to finish cooking. It’s a lot like my favorite homemade chicken noodle soup, but instead is made with white rice and a little milk to give it some creaminess — it’s so cozy and delicious!

Get your shopping list out because you will want to pick up the ingredients to make it this week! It’s the best, and I know you’re going to love it. Dinner for busy weeknights has never been cozier and easy to make. This homemade chicken and rice soup is the best family friendly recipe!

Why You’ll Love this Chicken and Rice Soup

• No complicated steps or fancy ingredients for this recipe! All you need is some fresh veggies, chicken, and pantry ingredients to make it.
• You will love how quick it is to make chicken and rice soup from scratch. You don’t have to simmer it for hours!
• Everything cooks in one pot for easy cleanup. That’s a big time saver for a busy evening!

Ingredients for Chicken and Rice Soup

• Chicken breast – For this recipe, I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They cook in the soup – no browning required! You could also substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs.
• Rice – I like to simply use white rice because it doesn’t take forever to cook. You can also use brown rice, but make sure to add at least 10 minutes of cooking time if you use it. I would avoid wild rice for this recipe because it can take longer. Try my chicken wild rice soup recipe instead! Jasmine rice, basmati rice, or another long grain rice work great.
• Olive oil – Use olive oil or another high heat oil to sauté the veggies before adding the rest of the ingredients to the dutch oven.
• Diced onion – Dice up a medium yellow onion or white onion to use in this soup.
• Carrots – Peel and dice carrots to add to this chicken and rice soup.
• Celery – Dice up fresh celery! You can omit this ingredient if you do not enjoy celery.
• Minced garlic – For the most flavor, use freshly minced garlic instead of jarred minced garlic.
• Dried parsley and thyme – This is my favorite way to add a bit of herby flavor to this chicken and rice soup.
• Salt and black pepper – These two flavor enhancers will help bring all of the other ingredients together.
• Low sodium chicken broth – For more protein, you can use low sodium bone broth instead of chicken broth!
• Evaporated milk – This is the key ingredient to making the soup creamy! You can use heavy cream in it’s place too.

How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, and celery ribs and cook them for four to five minutes.
2. Add the garlic and dried herbs and cook them with the veggies for one minute.
3. Then add the salt, pepper, broth, chicken breasts, and rice. Give everything a stir and bring the pot to boil.
4. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook the soup for 18 to 20 minutes. The soup is done when the rice is tender and the meat is cooked through.
5. Take the chicken out of the pot and shred it. Add it back to the pot along with the evaporated milk. Stir and serve!

Do you cook the rice before adding it to the soup?

For this recipe, the rice cooks right in the soup! It makes it so easy. It cooks to the perfect texture and doesn’t get mushy. I will say, if you plan to store this and want the soup to stay super liquidy then you may want to cook the rice separate and store it in a different container than the soup.

Can you put raw chicken in soup?

Yes, you can. The chicken poaches in the simmering broth. Once it’s cooked through (165°F), you can shred it into bite-sized pieces. If you have cooked chicken on hand, you can add it after the soup simmers so it can warm through.

How to Store Leftover Chicken and Rice Soup

Cool the soup and then transfer it to an airtight container.

FRIDGE: Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

FREEZER: Freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. I recommend thawing it in the fridge overnight before warming it up.

Keep in mind that you make need to add a little more broth to the soup when reheating as the rice will soak up some of the broth when stored.

Can I use turkey instead of chicken?

Yes, this is a great way to use it up! Omit the chicken and make the soup as instructed. Once the rice is tender, stir in shredded cooked turkey and let it warm up for a few minutes before serving.

Can I use noodles instead of rice?

If you prefer noodles, I recommend making my creamy chicken noodle soup instead. It has similar flavors!

What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Soup

Serve this one pot chicken and rice soup with comfort food classics like cheesy garlic bread or air fryer garlic bread. Some fresh homemade biscuits will work too! Cheddar bay biscuits are a cozy option that pairs well with this dish too.

I know you’re going to love this easy chicken soup recipe! It’s so quick, easy, and delicious. Add some breadsticks on the side to soak up all the delicious broth – it’s the perfect way to warm up!

More Simple Dinner Recipes!

• My Easy Chili Recipe only takes 30 minutes and is a great dinner when it’s cold outside!
• Make creamy, cheesy One-Pot Alfredo when you’re craving a cozy pasta dinner!
• Sloppy Joe Casserole is the ultimate comfort food dinner that’s so easy to make.
• Ham and Noodle Casserole is a great way to use up leftover ham!
• White Chicken Chili is a cozy meal you can make in your slow cooker!