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This thick and hearty chicken and rice soup is perfect for a weeknight dinner or Sunday supper. Goes together in an hour. Delicious served with hot crusty bread!
Why This Recipe Works
Like most soup recipes, cozy chicken and rice soup has definitely been done before! There are all sorts of variations to be found online, and in cookbooks. This version is very basic, and doesn’t contain any hard-to-find or fancy ingredients. It’s also made from fresh ingredients, and you can taste that great flavor in every bite. The very first time I made this, I knew it would become a regular on our winter menu. It’s one of my favorite recipes, and we love it on a cold day. This recipe has been updated with easier instructions and can now be made in one pot!
Instructions
- Chop the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.
- In a 5-6 quart stock pot, large Dutch oven, or large soup pot, over medium-high heat on the stove top, heat butter and olive oil.
- Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.
- Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 1/3 cup flour to the vegetables. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth.
- Add half and half.
- Add cooked chicken and bring to a boil.
- Add uncooked rice and Lawry’s seasoned salt.
- Bring to a second boil.
- Turn off the burner and cover the pot.
- Let pot sit for 30 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, or fresh parsley before serving.
TIPS
- It’s a good idea to have two 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth on hand. Almost always, I add more chicken broth after the rice is fully cooked. If you love a thick, almost stew-like soup, no extra chicken broth is needed.
- You can use whatever kind of chicken your family prefers. If you use boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cook them in your Dutch oven before you start the soup. Begin with a little olive oil in the pot. Add your raw chicken breasts, then salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the outside is nicely browned, and the inside is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pot and let it rest. Cut it into thin slices or chunks before it’s added back to the soup. Shredded chicken is also very good. Rotisserie chicken also works very well, it’s tender, and is super convenient if you are short on time. Chicken thighs can also be used.
- The amounts and choices for the vegetables and garlic are simply guidelines. Feel free to use more or less…and add additional veggies according to your family’s tastes. Suggestions are green beans, mushrooms, corn, or peas. I use jarred minced garlic, but chopped fresh garlic cloves are delicious as well.
- For a richer-tasting soup, substitute chicken stock for the chicken broth…or use half chicken stock and half chicken broth. Feel free to use low sodium chicken broth if desired.
- To make gluten-free chicken and rice soup: substitute cornstarch or gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour. Also, pay attention to the chicken broth. Some organic broths contain gluten.
- The best types of rice to use for this soup is long grain white rice, and it cooks in a reasonable amount of time. If you use brown rice or wild rice, the cooking time at the end will need to be increased. Basmati or jasmine rice can also be used.
- 2% or whole milk can be substituted for the half and half. For a thicker soup, heavy cream can be used.
- Adding fresh herbs to this chicken and rice soup is also very good. A few sprigs of fresh thyme, a bay leaf, or one sprig of rosemary, can be placed in the soup while it simmers at the very end. Make sure to remove the herbs before serving.
What to Serve with Chicken and Rice Soup
When I serve soup for supper, I usually include some sort of bread. The honest truth is that my husband would be completely satisfied with soup and some saltine crackers! A hearty crusty bread, either homemade or from the grocery, is a good choice. A savory bread, like beer bread, garlic cheese bread, or rosemary buttermilk bread, is delicious as well.
How to Store
Cool the soup completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, portion it out into individual bowls. Heat each bowl in the microwave for 30 second increments until the soup is hot and ready to eat. (If the soup has thickened, just add a little chicken broth while reheating.) This soup is almost better the next day!
Note: soup making is not an exact science. I have made countless pots of soup, and no two have turned out the same. The measurements in all of my soup recipes are guidelines, and can easily be adjusted according to your family’s tastes.
Make Ahead Tip
If you want to make this chicken and rice soup in advance, the best thing to do is make the soup with all the ingredients, except the rice. Store the rice-less soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Using medium heat, cook on the stovetop, and add the rice when the soup comes to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Tools for Soup Making
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Making soup is, at least for me, one of life’s simple pleasures. The act of chopping the vegetables, that keeps your hands busy for a little while, is very therapeutic. The smell that fills your kitchen when a pot of soup is cooking on your stove is soothing and reassuring. Serving wholesome bowls of hearty soup, which is the best kind of comfort food, will put a smile on your face every time. So if you are wondering what to make for dinner tonight, look no further!
Favorite Easy Chicken Recipes
- Semi Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken Florentine Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat)
- One Pot Chicken and Noodles
Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup carrots (chopped or shredded)
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 1/2 large sweet onion (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/3 cup flour
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half (milk can also be used)
- 2 cups chicken (cubed)
- 3/4 cup uncooked rice (see note below)
- 1/2 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- fresh minced cilantro, thyme, or parsley
Instructions
- Chop the celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.
- In a 5-6 quart stock pot, over medium high heat, heat butter and olive oil.
- Add celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.
- Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 1/3 cup flour to the vegetables. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth.
- Add half and half.
- Add chicken and bring to a boil.
- Add rice and Lawry's seasoned salt.
- Bring to a second boil.
- Turn off the burner and cover the pot.
- Let pot sit for 30 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh chopped rosemary, thyme, or parsley before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS
A SIMPLER LIFE.
I’ve been there. I know how you feel.
I can help.
Wonderful, made for a friend who promptly ask for the recipe!
Absolutely delicious!
I just made the soup today, and it is delicious!!! This is my new found soup recipe that’s going in the favorite’s category. I got pre-chopped onion, celery, and carrots from the grocery store and precooked rotisserie chicken. This made for a super simple prep. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Hi Jolene…I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you very much for the lovely comment and the rating. I truly appreciate it!
This is the best soup I have ever made. And I even used canned chicken. I made a second pot for a friend and she also said it was the best soup she has ever eaten. We both are seasoned cooks and love to cook. I have never left a review, but just had to compliment the chef!
Hi Judy…thank you so much for the lovely comment and the rating. I truly appreciate it!
Sounds delicious! Did you know you can buy Fat-Free Half and Half? It’s my new go-to for creamy soups!
I want to thank you for all your amazing soup recipes. I live in Columbus, Ohio, where, like much of the country, it is extremely cold. My oven is broken, and your soups are saving us! Each one is delicious, easy to make with clear and detailed instructions, and I usually have the ingredients on hand. Even my picky grandson loves them, so thank you, and keep them coming!
Just have to tell I made this soup today and it is so delicious. There is nothing like soup on a cold day. Thank you Ann for sharing this recipe. Have a good weekend.
This soup was very good. My family really enjoyed it. I altered it just a little by adding a splash of white wine to the sauteed vegetables before adding the broth and half & half. I also added a can of rinsed navy beans. It was a very filling meal.
Just made this tonight and it is so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us!!!
Smells and tastes delicious!
Wonderful recipe, Ann. Heart and belly warming on a dreary day! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Hope to try it soon. A friend would make this years ago and serve with hot blueberry muffins. They were from a boxed mix, but every bit as good as from scratch.
Just added Chicken and Rice soup to my favorites. Thank you for posting the recipe.
Gluten free flour is available at most grocery stores now.
Ann, I love your recipes! I’ve made several, and this is one I definitely want to make. I notice when I print the recipes, even though I check the box to get the image, your name doesn’t print. It would be great to have your name print, too, so I’d know it was a great recipe!
I’m not sure if I can make that sort of change to the recipe card…but I’ll see what I can do. Thank you!