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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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.
Delicious, my teenagers and poch loved it.
Does anyone have any info on what a serving size might be and what the calories, macros might come out to? Thanks in advance!
How much of the seasoned salt do you use?
This soup was perfect for our busy Monday ! I made it yesterday morning and we heated it up for dinner. Everybody had seconds, my 12 year old son did ask that I add more chicken next time !
I have been having some health issues, and having to eat a fairly bland diet…I searched today for a go to chicken & rice recipe, and certainly found it here!!! Thanks so much, love the article, and the soup was fantastic, so easy, had everything in my pantry…absolutely ❤️ it, and so did the hubby❣️
I’m so sorry to hear about your healthy issues, Debi, and am thrilled the soup satisfied!!
Even though it’s the middle of summer for me soup season is year round in my house – I love soup and I prefer homemade soup when I have the time to make it – and your recipe is a quick one and my all time favourite soup…
Can you tell me approximately how many cups of soup this makes? I need to make 5 gallons (80 cups) of soup for an event! ?
It probably makes 10-12 cups!
I love this soup and have made it several times. I have found to cut the chicken in a small pieces like you show it your pictures, it helps to cut the chicken while it is still partially frozen. I had a hard time cutting the raw chicken in such small pieces.
Being from Iowa also we eat soup all year around! I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for a long time! So glad I found it on Pinterest ! Go Hawkeyes
Can you use cooked chicken and rice in the recipie if so is the time still the same?
Made a very close version of this recipe, except I cooked and shredded the chicken before adding it. Thank you this turned out great!!! Oh I added chopped kale as well.
I’m so glad you linked to this in your year-end “best of” round-up because I forgot that I had pinned it when you originally posted it! It turned out great! Simple comfort food that is not boring. I doubled the carrots, added about 1/4 c chopped celery, and used Lowry’s seasoned salt. Thanks for another good one!
Can I use brown rice instead?
Sure! You’ll probably need to add more broth to account for the longer cooking time.