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Easy, comforting, chicken and rice soup is the perfect dinner for a cold night! Made with shedded chicken, rice, veggies and simmered in a flavorful broth. This cozy stovetop soup is one the whole family will love!
Craving another type of chicken soup? Try my creamy chicken noodle soup!
Why you’ll love it
Cozy and comforting soup – This chicken and rice soup tastes like a hug in a bowl. It’s a meal that will warm you up when it’s cold outside and if you’re feeling under the weather it’s a great way to nourish your body.
Easy to make – This chicken soup is so easy to make! It’s a stovetop soup that’s all made in one pot. There’s minimal prepping and it can be ready to eat in 40 minutes.
Family friendly – Just like chicken noodle soup, chicken rice soup is a meal the whole family will enjoy. Aside from using rice instead of noodles, these two soups are very similar in their ingredients and flavor.
The ingredients
- Onion, carrots, celery – Also known as a mirepoix. The vegetable combination that gives the soup broth tons of flavor.
- Garlic – Freshly grated or minced garlic has the best flavor.
- Italian seasoning – A blend of flavorful herbs. The seasoning should be salt-free.
- Fresh thyme – fresh herbs brighten up the flavor of the soup.
- Bay leaf – A dried bay leaf adds flavor to the broth and works well with the dried herbs in the Italian seasoning.
- Chicken broth – Use a good quality chicken broth for the best flavor.
- Rice – I like to use long grain white rice or jasmine rice for this recipe.
- Chicken – Cooked chicken is used for this recipe to cut back on cooking time.
How to make chicken and rice soup
Sauté the veggies – Add the veggies to a large pot or dutch oven with a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft. Add in the garlic and Italian seasoning and cook another minute.
Cook the soup – Add in the sprigs of fresh thyme, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring the soup to a boil. Once it starts boiling pour in the rice and stir everything together.
Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the chicken – Stir the chicken into the soup during the last few minutes of cooking time. I like to stir it in at the end vs. adding it in with the rice to prevent it from getting dry and overcooked.
Taste the soup for seasoning and add additional salt andd pepper if needed.
Storage and leftovers
Leftover chicken and rice soup will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. To reheat the soup you can microwave it or heat it in a saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat until hot.
Can you freeze chicken and rice soup?
I don’t recommend freezing this soup once the rice has been cooked into it. Once defrosted the rice will be mushy and fall apart giving the soup an unpleasant texture.
You can however make the soup without the rice and freeze it. The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheat the soup on the stove and add in 1-2 cups of cooked rice. Let it heat through and serve. This will allow you to still have the rice, but not risk it being mushy from being frozen.
Variations
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs or if you’re making it around Thanksgiving or Christmas use leftover turkey.
- Add extra veggies. A couple handfuls of baby spinach added at the end would be delicious. Frozen peas or corn would also be great added in.
- Use brown rice. The cooking time will be longer, but other than that nothing else in the recipe would change. You could also use wild rice or just try making my chicken and wild rice soup.
- Make the soup creamy. Add in a half cup of half and half or cream for a richer flavor.
More soup recipes
Did you make this chicken and rice soup? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken breasts
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the celery, carrots, and onion and sauté them for 5-6 minutes or until they’ve softened. Season with salt, pepper and the Italian seasoning and add in the garlic. Sauté for another minute.
- Add in the bay leaf, sprigs of thyme and pour in the chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring the soup to a boil.
- Once boiling, pour in the rice, stir, and lower the heat so that the soup is simmering. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and cooked. Add in the chicken and cook for another minute or two. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
