Chicken and Rice Soup

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My chicken and rice soup is brimming with warmth and comfort, ideal for serving on chilly evenings. The succulent chicken provides heartiness, while the tender grains of rice add velvety thickness. Carrots, celery, and onions form the foundation of flavor for the soup and add a rustic, chunky texture, while garlic, thyme, and parsley infuse the soup with aromatic brightness.

On days when you or your family is feeling under the weather, you honestly can’t do better than this nourishing chicken soup with rice. As a quick, one-pot meal that comes together in under an hour, making it perfect for busy weekdays too. It also freezes beautifully, so you can stock yourself up with cozy homemade goodness for the future. For more chicken soup recipes, try my chicken stew, chicken noodle soup recipe, or chicken tortilla soup recipe next!

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Ingredients needed to make chicken and rice soup.

Mirepoix — also known as the French trinity, this aromatic mixture of celery, onions, and carrots adds tons of flavor. If you’re short on time, you can often find it pre-prepped in the refrigerated section of the produce department.

Garlic cloves — I prefer the flavor of fresh garlic, but you can swap in ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder for every clove of fresh if needed.

Chicken stock or chicken broth — starting with a flavorful stock or broth is a surefire way to end up with a stellar bowl of soup. If you’re using store-bought, I recommend using a low-sodium variety and adding your own salt to taste.

Boneless, skinless chicken breast — this cut is the easiest to shred, plus it doesn’t require any butchering before adding to the soup. That said, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if needed. Just make sure to trim off any excess fat first, then cube the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces since it doesn’t shred as well.

Long-grain white rice — feel free to use an aromatic variety like basmati or jasmine rice, or keep it simple with plain long-grain rice. You can swap it for heartier brown rice or wild rice, just keep in mind it’ll take longer to cook and may require a bit of additional broth.

Fresh thyme — I like adding thyme to both the soup base and as a garnish. If you don’t have fresh, use ⅓ as much dried thyme, then omit it as your garnish.

Fresh parsley — for a bright green, lemony-flavored garnish. You’re welcome to experiment with other fresh herbs if you like- basil and tarragon are great options.

How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup

Set of two photos showing diced onion, celery, carrots, and broth added to a pot.

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onion, and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and carrots start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir the chicken stock into the pot, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Set of two photos showing chicken and rice added to a pot.

3. Once boiling, add the raw chicken breasts.

4. Stir in the uncooked rice, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Set of two photos showing cooked breasts shredded in a bowl with two forks and added back to the soup.

5. Remove the chicken from the soup, and place it in a bowl. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken.

6. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup. Serve garnished with additional parsley and thyme.

A bowl of chicken and rice soup with a spoon tucked in.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

Use leftover chicken. Leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken works well in this soup! Just add the shredded chicken after the rice is already cooked and continue cooking until the chicken is warmed through. I love cooking raw chicken in the soup, as it adds richness and a deeper flavor to the broth, but this is a great way use up leftovers!
Switch up the long grain rice. Go extra rustic by making chicken wild rice soup. Wild rice provides less creaminess than white rice, but the nutty flavor and firm texture are a lovely departure. Same with brown rice or any other type of whole grain rice. Just note that these varieties usually take longer to cook than white rice and may need additional broth.
Make creamy chicken and rice soup. Add a bit of richness to the soup by replacing up to ½ cup of the chicken broth with evaporated milk or heavy cream. Wwait to add it until the end of cooking when stirring the shredded chicken into the pot.
For an extra touch of bright, fresh flavor, squeeze fresh lemon juice into the pot of soup just before serving. However, skip this step if you’re making a creamy soup variation, as the lemon can curdle the milk.
Feel free to add additional vegetables to the soup, such as zucchini, diced sweet butternut squash, green peas, spinach, and kale. Add heartier vegetables like squashes with the rice, and leave the more tender peas and leafy greens to the last step as they only need a couple of minutes to wilt and become tender.
To easily shred the chicken: Use two forks to shred the chicken breasts in a bowl, or add the cooked chicken breasts to a mixer with a paddle attachment and let the stand mixer shred the meat on low speed.

Overhead view of a bowl of chicken and rice soup with chopped parsley garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you add rice to soup without it getting mushy?

Following my recipe makes a delicious soup with perfectly tender rice! Make sure you do not use Minute Rice, Instant Rice, or Parboiled Rice. These quick-cooking options may seem convenient, but they have a tendency to become quite mushy in soups. Also, serve the soup soon after cooking. The longer the soup sits, the more liquid the rice will absorb. If you’d like to prepare it ahead of time, consider using heartier rice (e.g., brown rice or wild rice) that holds up better when stored in liquid for several days.

How do I thicken it?

Part of the appeal of cooking the rice directly in the soup (rather than cooking it separately and adding it before serving) is that the starchiness helps to naturally thicken the broth. If you’d like to thicken it further, you can add a cornstarch slurry near the end of the cooking process. Stir 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water and add to the soup. Stir until the soup simmers and thickens.

Is it gluten-free?

Yes! All of the ingredients in this chicken rice soup recipe are naturally gluten-free, making this a celiac-friendly soup recipe.

How long is it good for in the fridge?

Chicken and rice soup should be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. You may need to add additional broth when reheating.

Does it freeze well?

Absolutely! It should keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months. I suggest divvying it out into individual containers so you can defrost just what you need when you need it. Allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stovetop or microwave. Just remember that you may need to add a bit of extra broth or water upon reheating, as the rice has a tendency to soak up the liquid as it rests.