Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

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ByHui Yin

Chicken noodle soup may be a comfort food for a lot of people, but have you ever thought of turning that dish up a notch and switching the noodles with rice instead? 

A chicken and rice soup can warm the body and give comfort with its hearty ingredients, making it a perfect dish for the family at any time of any way. Today, we’ll be teaching you this easy one pot homemade chicken and rice soup recipe. Have a look!

Chicken Rice Soup Recipe Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients that you’ll need for this homemade chicken and rice soup! The items in this recipe can easily be found in your pantry or your nearest grocery. 

  • 1 cup long grain rice
  • 2 pounds chicken breasts, raw
  • 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup celery, finely diced
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Optional:

  • Splash of lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon parsley

For this particular recipe, we used long grain white rice, jasmine rice in particular, but you can also make use of wild rice or brown rice. Do take note that using brown rice or wild rice with this recipe will result in a much longer cooking time than using white rice. You may also use instant rice with this recipe if you are pressed for time.

Boneless chicken breast is highly preferred to use in this recipe as they are easy to shred. Aside from chicken breasts, you can also use skinless chicken thighs as a substitute. While it’s best to use raw chicken breasts and cook it as you go along the recipe, if you have leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, those are more than fine to use as well. Shredded chicken can also help you in saving some time during cooking. If chicken broth isn’t available to you, you may also use chicken stock. 

Optional ingredients in this recipe include lemon juice and parsley as a garnish to the chicken and rice soup. The lemon juice adds a hint of freshness while the parsley can add a layer of flavor to the chicken rice soup when served. 

While we have provided you with this ingredient list, of course, you are free to modify it and use this chicken and rice soup recipe as a basis for your own dish. If you want to make it healthier, you can add in more vegetables or greens such as broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, and more.

How Do You Make Chicken and Rice Soup from Scratch?

This easy chicken and rice soup recipe can make a fulfilling and satisfying nutritious dish! This recipe has a total cook time of 1 hour and can yield about 8 cups of servings, making it an excellent dish for the whole family. Follow the steps of this recipe to have your flavorful bowl of chicken and rice soup!

Step 1. Season the raw chicken breasts on both sides using salt and pepper. If you are using pre-cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, season it to your liking if the taste is not par to your preference. 

Step 2. Place a large pot or a dutch oven on the stove over medium heat. Add the oil. For this recipe, we used olive oil. Once the olive oil is hot, add the chicken and cook until the surface is lightly browned. Do this for 3 to 4 minutes, and then flip and cook the other side of the chicken for another 3 minutes. Set aside. 

Step 3. Add the onion, carrots, and celery in the pot. Saute and cook until all the vegetables are lightly browned. This can take about 3 minutes. Next, add in the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds.

Step 4. Add the rice in the pot and stir it for about 2 minutes to slightly toast the grains. We used jasmine rice for this chicken rice soup recipe but you can use other types such as wild rice or brown rice. If you are using pre-cooked rice, you may skip this step and add in the rice separately later in the process. 

Step 5. Over medium high heat, add the chicken and chicken broth in the pot. If you don’t have chicken broth, you may use chicken stock as well. Put a dash of salt and pepper. Stir to combine it with the other ingredients. Cover your pot and bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 6. Once the soup mixture reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 25 minutes if you are using white rice. On the other hand, if you are using wild rice or other rice grains with this soup recipe, simmer for 45 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes or until the vegetables and rice are tender. If you used instant rice for this soup, you can add it in once the carrots are cooked.

Step 7. Remove the chicken from the soup pot. Shred the chicken into smaller pieces and add the chicken pieces back to the soup. Add in the evaporated milk as well. 

Step 8. Simmer the chicken and rice soup for 15 more minutes. Add more chicken broth if needed. Place in bowls and serve with a dash of lemon juice and parsley if desired. 

If you have leftovers, allow the chicken rice soup to cool down completely and before placing it in an airtight container. The chicken rice soup can last for up to 5 days when refrigerated. Reheat the chicken and rice soup in the microwave in 30-second intervals or simmer in a soup pot until hot.

If you want to have chicken and rice soup as a make ahead meal and freeze it, you’ll have to do a couple of things. Use whole milk or cream for the chicken soup instead of evaporated milk. Once you’ve finished cooking the chicken and rice soup, allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Place the chicken soup with rice in a large freezer bag and seal it completely. Lay it flat to freeze in a thin layer. 

This way, the chicken and rice soup will thaw quickly when you need it for mealtime with the family. To thaw, simply submerge the bag of chicken rice soup in lukewarm water and reheat to your desired temperature using the microwave or on the stove.

While this particular chicken and rice soup recipe makes use of the stove, you can also use a slow cooker to make it. Do note that the cook time will be longer if you will be using a slow cooker.

Here’s a short recipe to make rice and chicken soup in a slow cooker.

  • Simply put the broth, chicken breast or chicken thighs, vegetables, and rice in the slow cooker pot.
  • Cook on low for about 3 to 6 hours or until the rice is tender. Remember that using brown rice will have an even longer cook time than white rice.
  • Remove the chicken and shred.
  • Add the shredded chicken back to the slow cooker along with evaporated milk. 

How was that recipe for an easy chicken and rice soup in your own kitchen? If you’re feeling under the weather or you just need a cozy bowl of healthy soup on a chilly day, you can always pull up this recipe to make in one pot. Try it out!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you cook rice before adding to soup?

You can use already cooked rice in a soup recipe if you want to save time. Using cooked rice can also help in a way that it will absorb little liquid and won’t mush in the soup when you mix it in. You can also cook the rice in the soup too. In this chicken soup recipe, we went with the method of cooking the rice in the soup instead of cooking it before adding it in.

Do you cook chicken before adding it to soup?

You can light brown the chicken before adding it to the soup. The important thing to take note of is to not boil and not overcook the chicken before adding it. The chicken can continue to cook once it’s added back to the soup.

How do I thicken chicken and rice soup?

Chicken and rice soup can be thickened with the use of flour or cornstarch. To thicken the consistency, simply remove a ladleful of the chicken soup and mix it with one tablespoon of flour or cornstarch. Return the mixture to the chicken soup and boil until it reaches your desired consistency.

Hui Yin moved from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 to the USA 🇺🇸 when she was just 8 years old. Now in her late 20's she enjoys writing and taking long walks in the park to burn off the copious amounts of rice she eats for dinner.