This Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe is simple, hearty, and so good. It’s packed with tender veggies, chicken, rice, and a seriously flavorful broth.
author’s note
A Little Chicken Soup Switch-Up
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love a good chicken noodle soup, haha! I really don’t know if there’s anything better on an especially cold night or when I’m feeling under the weather. I also love changing up the noodles, like using tortellini or spaghetti instead of the usual egg noodles.
So naturally, I had to try another swap: rice instead of pasta. And WOW, it is so good! It’s definitely different from a traditional chicken noodle soup, but it has that same feel-good, comforting quality while being hearty in its own way.
This chicken and rice soup recipe is not creamy or heavy, but it still feels like a complete meal. And honestly, few things beat dunking a crusty slice of buttered bread into a hot bowl of this soup with plenty of finely grated Parmesan on top. Yum!
Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Butter & Olive Oil | Using both gives the veggies plenty of flavor without the butter browning too quickly. |
| Onion, Carrots, Celery & Garlic | Dice the veggies small and evenly so they soften at the same rate. |
| Seasonings & Bouillon | Italian seasoning, thyme, basil, oregano, parsley, bouillon, salt & pepper build the broth’s flavor. |
| Chicken Stock, Rice & Bay Leaf | Use a good-quality chicken stock since it makes up most of the soup. Basmati rice works SO well in this soup. |
| Chicken, Peas & Toppings | Rotisserie chicken keeps this recipe nice and easy. Finish with fresh herbs & plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. |
How To Make Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe
- Sauté Veggies: Melt butter and olive oil in a pot. Cook veggies until tender.
- Prepare Chicken: Shred or coarsely chop the rotisserie chicken. Add in seasonings.
- Cook Rice: Add broth and a bay leaf; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and simmer.
- Finish Soup: Stir in chicken and peas; cook for a few minutes.
- Serve: Top with fresh parsley, thyme, and Parmesan cheese if you like. Enjoy.
Chelsea’s Tips
Serving Suggestions
- Some good crusty French bread, honey whole wheat bread, or soup crackers/saltines are all so good with this Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe.
- For additional veggies, try roasted broccoli or roasted asparagus on the side.
- Some kind of salad, like this roasted veggie salad or this kale couscous salad.
Storage
Rice will keep soaking up the surrounding broth as it sits and eventually gets soft and bloated, so this soup is definitely best enjoyed soon after making it.
If you do want leftovers, here’s what I do: I use a wire skimmer to scoop the rice and other solids out of the broth and store the two separately. Then when it’s time to reheat, I warm them up and put everything back together.
Unfortunately, this soup doesn’t freeze and thaw very well with the rice in it. If you’re planning to freeze it, I’d make the soup and rice separately.
Use Leftover Rice In These Recipes
Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1/2 teaspoon each: dried thyme dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley
- Salt and pepper I add 1/4 tsp each
- 2 (32-ounce) containers chicken stock or broth (I like Swanson)
- 1 bay leaf dried or fresh
- 1 cup rice I like basmati here
- 2-1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme (pull the leaves from the sprigs)
- Parmesan cheese
- 1 large lemon cut into wedges
- Crusty buttered bread for dunking
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter and add olive oil. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery and sauté, stirring occasionally, 7–9 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender. Veggies shouldn’t be browning; reduce heat if they are.
- Meanwhile, pull the chicken from the bones and shred or coarsely chop into bite-size pieces.
- Add garlic, Italian seasoning, chicken bouillon powder, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, dried parsley, salt, and pepper to the vegetables. Stir seasonings for 30 seconds.
- Pour in chicken stock or broth and add bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Cover pot with a lid, reduce heat to low so the soup is simmering, and cook for 10–15 minutes or until rice is tender.
- Once the rice is tender, stir in the chicken and peas and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top individual bowls with fresh parsley, thyme, a squeeze of lemon, and Parmesan, if desired. Serve with crusty, toasted, buttered bread for dunking. Yum!
Recipe Notes
- Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Once boiling, generously salt the water and add the rice.
- Boil uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
- Drain well and fluff with a fork.
- Add a few spoonfuls of cooked rice to each bowl, then ladle the soup over top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is the best Chicken and Rice Soup I have ever had. The only changes I did, were to use the rack of a roasted chicken to make some of the broth, and used a Texmati rice blend of white, red, brown and wild rice.
Delish! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Reijo!
This soup looks so delicious, I would love a bowl of this right now as it’s almost below zero again! 🙁 Thanks for sharing
Haha exactly! 🙁 It snowed where I am at today! Thanks for the pin Jenn!
Yum! This is just what I need right now!
Thank you!
I love soup especially during the cold winter months and this one looks delicious Chelsea! Loving all the bright veggies packed in here and a big hot steaming bowl of this is just perfect for a snowy day like today 🙂 Hope you are all staying warm in this weather:)
Nothing better than soup when it’s snowing outside haha! Thanks Kelly! Hope you are staying warm as well 🙂
Love how jam-packed that soup is! I’m not a fan when a soup is too brothy, but this looks perfect!
Same here! And my husband hates brothy soups! Thanks Alyssa 🙂
We love chicken rice soup! It’s one of our favs around here. Beautiful photos!
We love it too! Thanks Melanie 🙂
This soup looks beautiful, Chelsea! I just love the colors of all those veggies. It looks so cozy! Thankfully, I think winter is done where I am, but I would still totally curl up with some blankets and a bowl of this soup. 🙂
Thanks so much Beth!
Brain twins! Definitely posted a chicken soup today as well! This looks so warm and comfy…love the rice addition! 🙂
Haha LOVE it! Lots of chicken soup 🙂
Now that the cold is rearing its ugly head again, this will sure hit the spot! Looks great girl.
Thanks Nicole! 🙂
I love the step by step photos for this recipe; it looks delicious! Yes there are a lot of thing I love about winter but I’m going to admit, soup is top on the list!!