Gluten-free White Queso Chicken and Rice Soup tastes like white queso dip but is made with zero processed cheese. This easy soup recipe is creamy, cheesy and delicious!
Whelp, it’s time to break out the boots with the fur (with the furrr) and my Margaritavilla station on Pandora. The season that shall not be named has officially arrived. Gahh!
That is to say, we got our first snow storm of the winter this week, complete with highs in the negative double digits, which meant snow days from school and soup making to the tune of 4 pots in 24 hours. More on that in a bit.
Is anyone else in agreement that snow after Jan 1 is just plain wrong? Let me rephrase that – is anyone else who doesn’t live in a fabu ski town agree that snow after Jan 1 is just plain wrong?
Confession: my little brother moved back to Denver. I know. Sobs, sobs, sobs. He’d lived there for a handful of years but really missed the family and came home this fall. Well, the mountains called his name back west and off he went the day after Christmas. We were so sad to see him go but want him to be 100% happy always, and that’s with his girlfriend, friends, and the great outdoors in the fabulous state of Colorado. The bright spot is now we have a reason to recommence our yearly trip to visit the aforementioned fabu ski towns we can never get enough of. Yipee ki-yay!
Anyway, 6 inches of snow. Freezing temps. Coughs, colds, and red noses call for just one thing – SOUP (and a glass of red wine at night to warm the soul. I started on vacation and just can’t find a reason to stop. YOLO!)
White Queso Chicken and Rice Soup, friends! It’s warming my belly and the insides of my fridge because, as I mentioned, I made four steaming pots of it in 24 hours to get the recipe juuuuust right. Well, once I forgot a critical step while multitasking (2015 is the year of unitasking) and botched the whole batch, and another time I ate the whole pot before I could photograph it. But the other two times were just for you, WHITE QUESO LOVERS!!!
A simple chicken, green bell pepper, Rotel, and chicken broth base is bulked up with white rice, spiced with a touch of chili powder, then given an uncanny resemblance to white queso dip with the addition of shredded white cheddar cheese at the end. Topped with crushed tortilla chips you’ll swear you’re at your favorite Mexican restaurant eyes-down-ordering-then-devouring white queso dip before the meal comes because free chips and salsa weren’t enough.
This soup is unbelievably delicious – I could not stop eating it (see above!) Creamy, cheesy, and so satisfying. You’ll be making four batches too, and not just because you’re a queso-loving, multitasking, extra-hungry bonehead!
Start by sautéing 1lb chicken breasts, 1 chopped green bell pepper, and 1 chopped shallot or 1/2 small onion in 1 Tablespoon butter in a large soup pot or Dutch Oven over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add 2 cloves minced garlic then saute for 1 more minute.
Next add 6 cups (48oz) chicken broth, 1-3/4 cup milk (I used 2%,) a 10oz can Rotel, and 1 Tablespoon chili powder then turn the heat up to bring the soup to a simmer.
Add 3/4 cup long grain white rice then place a lid on top of the pot, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer until the rice is al dente, stirring occasionally to make sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom.
In a small dish, whisk together 1/4 cup gluten-free or all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup milk until smooth, then stream into the soup and stir to combine. Let the soup simmer uncovered or 5 more minutes.
Finally, remove the pot from the heat then slooooowly sprinkle in 8oz freshly shredded white cheddar cheese stirring constantly to ensure the cheese melts smoothly. I strongly encourage you to use freshly shredded cheese vs pre-shredded as it has a coating that prevents it from sticking together and doesn’t melt quite as well.
Let the soup sit and thicken for 10-15 minutes then ladle into crocks, top with crushed tortilla chips, and have at it!
Leek and Mushroom Chicken SkilletWhite Queso Chicken and Rice Soup
Description
Gluten-free White Queso Chicken and Rice Soup tastes just like white queso dip. Creamy, cheesy and fabulous!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded then chopped
- 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups (48oz) chicken broth
- 2 cups milk, divided (I used 2%)
- 10oz can Rotel
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 3/4 cup long grain white rice
- 1/4 cup gluten-free or all-purpose flour (see notes for brand used)
- 8oz shredded white cheddar cheese
- Crushed tortilla chips, for topping
Directions
- Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken, bell pepper, and shallots, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 1 more minute.
- Add chicken broth, 1-3/4 cups milk, Rotel and chili powder to the pot then turn heat up to high and bring to a simmer. Add rice then turn heat down to medium-low, place a lid on top, and then cook until rice is al dente, stirring occasionally.
- Stir remaining 1/4 cup milk into flour in a small dish then drizzle into the soup and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat then slowly sprinkle in cheese while continuously stirring to make sure it melts evenly. Let soup sit and thicken for 10 minutes before serving with crushed tortilla chips.
Notes
- I like Bob's Red Mill White Rice Flour for thickening soups and sauces.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Even with the addition of chili powder and green chilis in the Rotel, I would not call this soup spicy at all – just slightly warming. If you’re looking for a kick, throw a chopped jalapeno in with the vegetables and/or use spicy Rotel. Either way, you are going to LOVE this soup!
Dinner tonight!!
Think I could use brown rice and just simmer longer? Would you suggest more liquid, if so? Looks fab!!
I haven’t tried but I bet it could work! Yep, you’ll need more broth since brown rice needs more and takes double the cooking time. Good luck!
Any substitutes for rice in this soup? My family is not a fan of it! Thanks!
You could just leave it out, and maybe add more chicken, or even black beans?
I’m home sick today and I just read your soup recipe – making it! I love that I have the ingredients on hand!
Just woke up to a new layer of snow… So about this soup, does the cheese get weird and separate when you reheat it? If so what’s the trick? I want to make this on Sunday and eat it all. week. long. xoxo
The flavor is the same in the following days, but with many cheese + broth soups, it can separate a bit. Like I said, flavor is still great though!
Well hello I know what I’m making this weekend!
Maybe I should know this but…does the chicken need to be cooked before you put it in the pot or does it cook along with the pepper and shallots?
Nope, you throw everything in the pot and it all cooks together!
Looks amazing! Do you think a non-dairy milk, like almond or coconut would work?
I think it could work but I’d try and find the most mild flavored milk possible so it doesn’t throw the whole flavor of the dish off!
Yum – what a tasty, cozy idea for a soup – white queso that I can have a whole bowl of! Enjoy the snow – stay warm!
This recipe looks delicious!! As a fellow cold-weather-state dweller, I’m thinking this looks like a perfect thing to make this weekend! And thanks for mentioning your Margaritaville Pandora station. I might have to copy you and play that station to get through the snowy, wintery day we’re having here!
I will have to make this very soon!! Love how easy it is!
– – and now I have that song stuck in my head…. thanks! lol
Denver is a wonderful place. I just LOVE Colorado! You are lucky to have family there to use as an excuse to visit ;)
This soup will be in my belly this weekend! I am going to make it with Hatch green chiles instead of green bell pepper, though. It fits the flavor profile better than the bell pepper.
YUM. Miss and I were just talking about needing our soup fix with the weather as nasty as it’s been. And speaking of ski towns, I was invited to go skiing in Utah (leaving tomorrow!), so stay tuned for a flood of mountain/snow pics on IG. Just a heads up… #sorrynotsorry :-D
Ugghhhhh, jealous!! You take the best trips… ;)
Would this work in the crock pot or would it curdle?
I think you could do it in the crock pot then stir the milk/flour in, cook until thickened, then stir the cheese in at the end. That’s what I would do!
Oh, yum. My husband would go bananas for this!!
Would this soup freeze well you think?
I usually don’t recommend freezing soups with unprocessed cheese as it can separate when thawed!
I just made a pot (left the rice out, trying to stay low carb) and it hits the spot on this 12 degree day we are having in Ohio ! Thanks again for a great recipe !
Awesome!! So glad to hear! :)
my parents are coming to visit tomorrow– can’t wait to make this for them! perfect timing on the recipe!
YUM!! I have everything on hand that I need to give this a try :)
I love your boots with fur! I am on the hunt for new ones…what brand are your furry ones?? (PSA: My usual LLBean boots are on a crazy back order b/c hipsters have discovered them – if you order today can be shipped out April 20th.)
Those darn hipters!! ;) Mine are Sorel Joan of Arctic boots!
This looks delicious! I live in ohio and winter has officially struck here. My son had a day off of school and we have all been sick this week. So it looks like this will be on the menu very soon!
Yum! My hubby and I just finished two bowls!!!! Love, love, love it! :)
Hooray!! Thanks for the feedback, Heidi!
Did you use the garlic? Didn’t see that mentioned in the photo instructions, but see it in the printed instructions.
Whoops! Yep I did – added into the post instructions. Thanks for the heads up!
Made this last night and it was delicious! My hubby kept saying that this was the best soup he’s ever had. Great flavors and so easy to make!
Making this now and just wanted to let you know that the Rotel doesn’t show up in your directions at the bottom. I figured out when to put it in via your picture re-cap, but thought you might like to update that. Also the name at the top is different than the name above the ingredient list/instructions :) (White Queso Chicken and Rice Soup versus White Queso Chicken Chili). Love your recipes!
Ahhh, hot mess – thank you so much for the heads up! All fixed. Thanks again. :)
Great recipe for the NFL playoffs today!! Making it for din tonight. Go Broncos! (Love, a fan from Denver :) )
i mixed the flour and milk but when I added it to the soup mixture it seemed to have clumped together in chunks. Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Just made a pot of this and it was delicious. It made a lot too so I will be able to eat off of it for the week. YUMMY!!!
Hi Kristin, can you tell me what Rotel is?! I live in the UK and have absolutely no idea! Hopefully I can find a similar substitute here, because this looks incredible.
You bet! It’s basically a mix of petite diced tomatoes and chopped green chilis. If you can’t find it in the UK you can just mix the two and it will turn out just fine. :)
I made this soup over the weekend and it was absolutely wonderful. It is my new favorite! Great recipe!
Made this over the weekend and my entire family loved it (husband and three kids). Will make again!
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Forgive my possible ignorance with this question, but do you think substituting garbanzo bean flour for rice flour would be ok?
Thanks – I use your recipes A LOT!
Hi Kj! I have never cooked with garbanzo bean flour so I can’t say for sure. If you’ve used it to thicken sauces or other soups I bet it could work!
[…] – White Queso Soup – I LOVE soup! It’s one of my favorite things about cold weather. Iowa Girl Eats cooks […]
I made this soup and still eating it tonight! So creamy and cheesy, a great choice for these cold winter days :)
This soup looks fabulous. I asked (ok, pleaded) the waiter at our local Mexican restaurant for the queso dip recipe. Their queso is actually made with White American cheese and pickled jalapenos!! It makes for such a smooth, creamy consistency. I might try that in your soup instead of the White Cheddar!
If I am cooking this for a dinner party but don’t want to be cooking while guests are there, what do you suggest, at what point could I stop the cooking and then pick it up again? What do you normally serve it with, salad? Thanks, looks so good!
I think you could saute the chicken and vegetables ahead of time then pick it up from there. I think a salad would be great to serve with it!
[…] Chicken Salad Wednesday: Slow cooker “rotisserie” chicken Thursday: BLT salad Friday: Queso chicken & rice soup Saturday: Something with ground […]
For someone who used to live in Iowa (20+ years there) and Colorado and Vermont and Northern California, but is now stuck in the South East….snow at anytime of year would be greatly appreciated! 60+ temps in January do not make for great soup weather and this one looks delicious!
[…] White Queso Chicken and Rice: […]
This looks amazing!
I made this over the weekend, and everyone who tried it LOVED it! To us, this tastes like a copycat of Max & Erma’s tortilla soup, which is something that my friends, family, and I have been obsessed with for YEARS! Have you ever been to a Max & Erma’s? I don’t think there are any in Iowa, but they’re in several states.
This is the 4th time I’ve made this soup since you have posted it…. Obsessed much?? Lol thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi! Can’t wait to try this soup! I am trying to make ahead for tomorrow. Could I cook up to cheese stage then add cheese when heating up tomorrow? Thank yoU!
Hi Emily! I’d actually cook then eat fresh as the rice will soak up the broth. I hope that helps!
This soup is so delicious! I used Better Batter GF flour but otherwise followed the directions exactly. My four year old was obsessed too! So grateful for your amazing gluten-free recipes. Thank you!
I, too, hate green peppers. Why don’t you try subbing with poblanos? That is what I do. Not spicy, but a much better flavor than regular green peppers, and easily found at any grocery store.
Ok I just have to comment! I made this soup this evening for my husband and I and it is so delicious! I used the hot rotel and it gave it just enough of a kick. There is a restaurant here that has a soup similar with rice and I absolutely love it! Next time we will add some sliced avocado on top!
Made this for dinner last night and it was SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!! Definitely the best thing I’ve made in awhile. I brought the leftovers to work for lunch today and I can’t wait to eat them :) I made a couple little changes based on what we had in our pantry/laying around on the counter. We didn’t have any Rotel, so I used a 14 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes and one of those little cans of green chilis. We had some garden tomatoes (one roma and a few cherry) plus two big green peppers that were a day away from going bad, so I chopped up all of those and threw it in. I also used a whole onion, more garlic, and a little less liquid (5 cups vs. 6 cups of broth and about a 1 1/2 c of milk) SO DELICIOUS. I might make this again this weekend. Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
I’m so glad you loved this soup recipe, Sarah, and that you made it work with what you had on hand. Thank you so much for the feedback!
As I was putting this soup together I was a little skeptical of how this was going to turn out but like so many other IGE recipes, it was delicious. It really does taste like queso. I used rotisserie chicken and corn starch instead of flour as the thickener and amped up the heat with red pepper flakes. Such a classic Midwestern flavor profile here.
So glad you liked it, Rachel! Thanks for the feedback!
I made this for dinner Monday night and it was fabulous! I substituted red bell peppers for green (green peppers give me heartburn for some reason but I LOVE red ones). I also left out the onions as my fiancée is not a big fan of actual onions (he likes the taste but not diced or chunks of onion, go figure). I added more salt, garlic, and chili powder (to spice it up a bit) and it was a huge hit! My fiancée and I both loved it! Your recipes are always fantastic. Thanks for giving us new ways to switch up dinner!!!