Easy Chicken and Rice Soup is a quick and simple soup recipe that the entire family will love. This brothy and nourishing soup recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight supper, or feeding someone under the weather.
“This is a new staple in my house. I’m not sure how the small amount of ingredients end up so flavorful but it’s pretty amazing. Great weeknight meal!”
Soup season is 12 months a year at my house, and the recipe that makes the most appearances – even during the dog days of summer – is my Chicken and Rice Soup recipe.
This brothy and nourishing soup features everyday ingredients like vegetables, chicken, rice, and chicken stock, but I’m not exaggerating when I tell you my children lick their bowls clean of it.
Whether you’re craving something ultra-comforting, feeding a sick friend or family member, or simply only have 30 minutes to get dinner on the table — Chicken and Rice Soup is the answer!
Watch How to Make It
Main Ingredients Needed
Browse the comments section of this post and you’ll see that readers have added everything from celery to spinach, dried and fresh herbs, plus peas to this soup over the years. It’s a fabulous recipe to customize with extra veggies in particular, though here’s what you’ll need for the base recipe:
- Aromatics: onions, carrots, and garlic build the base of this cozy soup.
- Homemade Seasoned Salt: adds tons of flavor to each bowl.
- Chicken breasts: this recipe calls for diced raw chicken breast, though you could stir in pre-cooked shredded or diced chicken from a roast chicken at the end to warm through. If I have time, I’ll occasionally use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs cooked using this method.
- Long grain white rice: like jasmine rice or basmati rice, vs a short grain rice like arborio rice or sushi rice. Lundberg Jasmine Rice is my go-to. Whatever brand you go with, be sure it’s high quality to avoid mushy rice.
- Chicken stock: I like to use chicken stock (homemade is great) for max flavor, though chicken broth is fine too. Feel free to use low-sodium chicken broth or stock if needed.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItHow to Make Chicken and Rice Soup
Step 1: Saute the vegetables.
Start by heating a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
Add chopped carrots and onion, season with homemade seasoned salt and pepper, then place a lid on top and cook until the vegetables are very tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Can I Make this in the Crock Pot?
I don’t advise cooking white rice in the crock pot, as it’s very tricky to control the texture and timing with the chicken and vegetables.
Step 2: Add chicken stock, rice, and chicken.
Add chicken stock or broth to the pot then turn the heat up to bring to a boil. Add long grain white rice then stir to combine. Next add diced chicken breasts that have been seasoned with more seasoned salt and pepper then stir to combine.
Do I Cook the Rice Before Adding it to the Soup?
No, the rice will cook in the soup. If you have cold, leftover rice you’d like to use instead, stir that in at the end to warm through. Note: you will need less broth since the pre-cooked rice will not soak up much of the broth.
How do You Keep the Rice from Getting Mushy?
Be sure to use high quality rice in this soup recipe. If you use minute rice, or any other type of par-boiled rice, it will turn out mushy.
I’m brand loyal to Lundberg rice and like their White Jasmine Rice in this recipe. Trust me, rice quality makes a huge difference!
Do I Cook the Chicken Before Adding it Into the Soup?
No. Diced raw chicken breasts are seasoned with seasoned salt and pepper then added to the soup raw, where they poach in the hot broth.
Step 3: Simmer the soup.
Turn the heat down to medium then simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring every so often.
Serve with Gluten Free Focaccia, Gluten Free Flatbread, or Gluten Free Biscuits and you’re set!
How to Store
Scoop leftover chicken and rice soup into individual-sized storage containers then store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave with an extra splash of chicken stock or broth until hot.
Can I Freeze this Soup?
I find even high quality white rice can become mushy once frozen then thawed, so I don’t recommend freezing this soup.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Gluten Free Lasagna Soup
- Pastina Soup
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
- Gluten Free Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped, ~1/2 cup
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped, ~1/2 cup
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- homemade seasoned salt and pepper
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice, Lundberg Jasmine Rice recommended
Directions
- Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add he onions and carrots, season with seasoned salt and pepper, then stir to combine. Cover the pot with a lid then saute until the vegetables are very tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic then saute without the lid on for 30 seconds.
- Turn the heat up to high then add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the rice then stir to combine. Season the chicken with seasoning salt and pepper then add to the broth and stir to combine. Turn the heat down to medium then simmer, uncovered, until the rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Taste then add more seasoned salt and/or pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- The rice will continue to soak up the broth as it cools so keep extra on hand for reheating leftovers.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
My 7-year-old requested this soup and after two bowls, he proclaimed it the best soup in the world! Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
That’s amazing!! All of my kids LOVE this soup too — and it just never fails to crack me up because it’s so stinking easy to make.
Thank You ! Quick and easy, I like it.
Thanks …
You bet. :)
Perfect! Glad to hear it, Nick. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
My go-to comfort food! So good!
Aww, I love to hear that, Kimberly!
Making this as we speak! I’m assuming I can freeze leftovers,so that I have a batch for a quick dinner this fall!
Hi Amber! I actually don’t usually recommend freezing cooked rice as it can turn to mush when thawing and reheating. The leftovers do refrigerate very well to be reheated within 3 days.
So delicious, simple and easy! I wanted something my toddler and baby would eat as well and this is perfect. We all enjoy it as a family. Thank you!!
Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Sam!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
what kind and how much chicken is needed for chicken and rice soup
Hey there! The recipe states: 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb, cut into bite-sized pieces. I hope that helps!
This recipe was super delicious. The next day the rice had absorbed most of the liquid and was mushy. Can you tell me how to fix this?
Oh I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Steve! I find that getting the soup out of the hot pot and into individual storage containers as soon as possible after cooking helps a ton with that.
My gosh this is so good and easy. Home sick and wanted this but did not have fresh veggies. Added frozen broccoli/cauliflower. Yum.
I’m assuming the chicken is cooked beforehand, am I right?
The chicken cooks in the hot broth with the rice.
Absolute hit. No leftovers! So simple and so delicious.
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Ezequiel – thanks so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
I never add the noodles or rice into soup pot. It will expand by absorbing the broth even after cooking. Soup will be rice soup with consistency of grits or oatmeal. Learned the hard way in my 20s. Just make noodle or rice separately and add to each serving. Especially helpful for freezing.
I made this and it was a hit with my husband. We both loved it!
I made some cornbread muffins with butter and it was sooo good.
This absolutely deserves a 5 Star!
That sounds awesome, Ella!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This chicken soup is amazing. I made a pot for dinner recently, but it was gone before we ever reached the dinner table. Key is to use the seasoned salt – truly amazing and we use it on everything now!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Anne!! And I agree about the seasoned salt — it really makes the recipe!
I love this recipe!! I swapped out the breasts for thighs and tripled the carrots. I love that I can use very few ingredients to whip this together and the leftovers are even better! Thank you! 💜
So glad you were able to use what you had on hand, Betsy! I’m thrilled it was a hit. :) Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Thanks for this, I wanted to know if I could use rice rather than potato and this simple little recipe worked well. Delicious and I will make it again;
I’m thrilled to hear that, TW!