Easy Chicken and Rice Soup is a comfort food ready in 30 minutes. Homemade hearty and healthy, perfect for warming up on a cold day.
A bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup is the ultimate comfort food as the weather gets chilly. Warm yourself up with this hearty and delicious classic Soup Recipe all fall and winter long! For something with a little more spice, head straight over to my Chicken Poblano Soup!
Sabrina’s Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Much like our Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup, this is a healthy, hearty chicken soup that is perfect for cold winter months. This soup recipe uses white rice instead of brown rice and is made on the stovetop in just 30 minutes. Make this flavorful, easy soup the next time you need comfort food fast. Serve with Dinner Rolls and a garnish of fresh parsley!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 stalks celery , sliced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 2 carrots , sliced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup long grain rice , uncooked
Instructions
- Melt the butter to a large dutch oven on medium heat and cook the onions, garlic, celery, salt, and pepper for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the broth, chicken, carrots, oregano, basil and rice and bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until rice is tender.
- Remove the chicken and shred with two forks before returning to the soup and serve immediately (the rice will continue to soak up the soup as it sits).
Notes
Nutrition
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Table of Contents
About this Recipe
This soup is a quick one-pot soup made completely from scratch with fresh chicken breasts and a handful of pantry items and seasonings. This recipe is made with long grain rice, like jasmine rice or basmati rice, but shorter grains like arborio work just as well. Brown rice and wild rice will take longer to cook, so use instant rice if you are short on time.
Chef’s Note
This kid-friendly soup makes a great go-to weeknight dinner and can be doubled to feed a crowd. It’s gluten-free, low-fat, and you can swap olive oil for butter to make it dairy-free and even healthier.
Can This be Made Ahead of Time?
You can make it ahead of time and freeze for up to 6 months! The soup even easier with leftover cooked White Rice or Brown Rice and pre-cooked chicken. Add leftover cooked rice at the very end, heating just until hot so it doesn’t get mushy.
How to Store
- Serve: Soup is best served right away because rice will soak up the broth and make it extra thick. Keep this rice soup recipe warm for up to 2 hours before storing.
- Store: Cool soup and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat over medium-low heat on the stove top. Add more chicken broth if the soup is too thick.
- Freeze: Once cooled, store soup in a sealed container and freeze for up to 6 months. To make freezing easier, place in a freezer-safe plastic bag and lay the bag flat on a baking sheet. Freeze for one hour, then remove from baking sheet and store flat. Thaw soup overnight in the refrigerator before reheating on the stovetop.
Ideas to Serve
This soup is a great recipe for holiday leftovers too! Make this rice soup with leftover Roast Turkey or Rotisserie Chicken for an easy and delicious next day dinner. Remove the skin and shred 2-3 cups of chicken (or turkey) meat before adding like normal. For a richer broth, simmer the carcass or bones in 8 cups chicken broth for an hour. Strain the chicken stock through a sieve to remove bones and fat before using in your soup.
Alternative Cooking Techniques
Slow Cooker
- For a one-pot slow cooker Chicken Rice Soup, simply dump everything in the crockpot, stir, and cook covered for 3-4 hours on low heat.
- Build more flavor by sautéing onions, celery, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat before adding to the crock pot.
- To keep the rice from getting mushy, let chicken and other ingredients cook for one hour before adding.
Instant Pot
- Chop chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.
- Turn Instant Pot to Sauté function and heat 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- When oil is shimmering, sauté onions and celery for 3-4 minutes, until onions are translucent.
- Add garlic and chicken pieces. Cook chicken until almost cooked.
- Turn Instant Pot off and stir in rice and seasonings.
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
- Close lid and set valve on sealing. Set the cook time to Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure for 5 minutes, then quick release. Stir and serve.
Variations
- Wild Rice Soup: To make Chicken and Wild Rice Soup, boil wild rice in broth for about 15 minutes, then add the chicken (so it doesn’t dry out) and cook another 20 minutes. You can also use leftover cooked Wild Rice and add at the end.
- Pasta: Instead of rice, try bite size pasta like orzo, tortellini, macaroni, or small shells. You could also skip pasta and use chopped sweet potatoes or russet potatoes for a Chicken and Potato Soup.
- Meat: Use bone-in chicken breasts or chicken thighs for more fatty, chicken flavor. You can also use boneless chicken thighs. The dark meat will add more fat. If you prefer chicken chunks instead of shredded chicken, chop chicken into bite-sized pieces before cooking.
- Vegetables: Other veggies that you can add to Chicken Rice Soup are mushrooms, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, or pearl onions. You can use frozen veggies, just thaw and drain first.
- Seasonings: Try seasonings like lemon juice, tarragon, rosemary, fresh thyme, or bay leaf with this soup. Use chicken stock instead of chicken broth for even more flavor.
- Creamy: Whisk 1 cup of heavy cream or evaporated milk and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour until well combined. Stir into soup after the rice is tender and cook for 5 minutes, until broth is thick and creamy.
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I made this using some leftover turkey meat and it was delicious! It comes together so easily and I tossed some in the freezer so I have a quick and easy meal whenever needed.
Perfect! With rotisserie chicken and fresh veggies. We have a family Soup Night every week as I take a pot to daughter’s family of 5. This one works great. I add the rice Just before heading up to their house.
Maybe soon!
Phil from Scotia, NY
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Phil!