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.
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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.
Simple and delicious, thanks for sharing!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Brent! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
To make it even easier, I used Lawrys seasoned salt – a 1/4 tsp. with a shake of black pepper with the saute, and tossed the chicken with 1 tsp. and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Otherwise followed the recipe. DELICIOUS!
Perfect! So glad you loved this dish and were able to make it with what you had on hand, CB! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Do you need to pre cook the chicken?! Or just add raw chicken chunks to it?!
The chicken is added raw and poaches in the hot broth.
This chicken and rice soup recipe is so amazingly delicious!! I followed the recipe to a t; except I added celery and Wow!! It was an instant hit with my family!!
I’m thrilled to hear this, Chuck!! Truly happy your family loved it. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
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!
Right?! The best little recipe – I’m so glad you loved it, Briana! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Add a a pound of chicken today I needed to cook and I thought what will I do with it ??
and I googled chicken and rice soup and your recipe popped up !!
and I am so happy to have it!
It was 10,000 times better than any canned soup I’ve ever had and it was not that much trouble. I did add more salt and pepper Because that’s to our taste and I did also sauté celery which I really like
all in all it was wonderful !! I’m going to go have some right now!thank you so much for that recipe!!!!
And if you receive this, you might tell me an answer. Does it freeze well I’m thinking that it mentioned that it did not but I’m not sure. I’ll just have to go back and look! I’d love to have this all year round!
I’m so glad you found your way to this recipe, Ingrid!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating, too – I really appreciate that. :) I personally don’t typically freeze this recipe because the rice can become mushy once frozen then thawed.
It’s easy and it tastes like grandma’s chicken and rice soup! My go to when sick or just craving it.
Oh I love to hear that! So glad you enjoyed. :)
This was easy and it was delicious! Thanks so much for this recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it, Patty!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
This is SOO good and quick to make. I have forwarded it on to many friends. I do add celery to mine if I have it. But so so good.
Thanks.
Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Alina. :) Thanks so much for your feedback!
Very easy and easily adaptable by adding different vegetables.
I’m thrilled to hear this was a hit, Cathron! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
My mom shared this recipe with me because she loves it so much and I do too! Very easy and very tasty and uses normal ingredients you probably already have. I used rotisserie chicken because I had it leftover. I needed to cook the soup for 25 min to get the rice completely cooked. And I think I would do 9 cups of broth next time. Thank you so much!
I’m so glad you love this soup, Blair!! Sometimes I cook the rice with the lid on for a bit if it’s taking too long to soften (I am impatient, lol) or I feel the broth is reducing too fast. Best to keep it at a gentle simmer if keeping the lid off the entire time. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Can you make this in a crockpot? If so, what are the directions?
Hi Theresa! I don’t recommend cooking white rice in a crock pot — it can so easily turn to mush!
Can I use leftover cooked white rice in this? Do you recommend waiting until the very end to add it since it’s already cooked?
Yes that’s fine! You’ll want to reduce the amount of chicken broth since the rice won’t absorb so much of it. I’d let it simmer for 5 minutes at the end to warm through.
stupid question but do you cook the chicken and then add it or add it in raw?
You’re fine! You add the diced chicken in raw. :)