Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
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This Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup comforts the soul with a combination of fresh vegetables, simple spices, and a light and creamy broth that is overflowing with tender chucks of chicken.
It is perfect for those busy-day-dinners when you are just about out of time, but still want to put a hearty, nutritious meal on the dinner table.
And if you love this soup you’ll be sure to love my creamy wild rice soup, it’s perfect for adding in leftover Thanksgiving turkey or ham.
This soup starts out like most soups, with a hearty mix of onions, carrots, celery and seasonings for the base and it creates the perfect foundation of flavor for the velvety, creaminess of this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.
In just 30 minutes, this soup will put a hush to your families hunger pangs. Get ready to cozy up and end the day on a warming, comforting note.
Need some other cozy meal ideas for your dinner menu? Check out my Cheesy Chicken Risotto with Broccoli, Creamy Chicken Marsala Pasta, and Pot Pie Casserole for inspiration!
You’ll Love This Soup Because…
- This time-saving soup is quick and so easy to make.
- You will use just one pot so cleanup is s breeze.
- The surprise of the bright lemony flavors and the aromatic rosemary.
- It’s made with every day ingredients and pantry staples.
- …well, what’s not to love?! Chicken, rice, veggies, creamy goodness… yum!
Ingredient Notes
For the ingredient measurements and entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Butter: Use butter for the best flavor, but olive oil can also be used.
- Yellow onion: Yellow onion adds sweetness to the soup and it’s always a good idea to start with cooking aromatics in a little fat (in this case butter) to add overall flavor to soups.
- Carrots: Carrots add a slightly sweet and earthy flavor.
- Celery: Think of the celery as a supporting actor in this soup. It’s not the main star, but along with the carrots and onions they are essential to make a flavorful, robust soup.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Chicken thighs are tender and juicy and add more richness to the soup than chicken breast. However, feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts or even stir in leftover shredded chicken or a rotisserie chicken at the end if you’re in a pinch.
- Garlic: We all know when my recipe says 3 cloves, I’m really adding like 8 cloves. HAHA. Measure with your heart and what feels good!
- Thyme & rosemary: Aromatic herbs add delicious flavors to your soup. Be sure to use fresh, not dried.
- All-purpose flour: this helps thicken the creamy broth.
- Chicken broth: I recommend using a good broth that is packed with chicken flavor. Or even chicken bone broth.
- Half and half: Adding half and half adds a silky, rich flavor. You can use whole milk if you prefer.
- Soy sauce: just a little splash adds to the complexity of the soup that brightens and brings out the layers of flavors.
- Hot sauce: Much like salt, hot sauce will enhance and open up the flavors in your soup. Feel free to omit if you are sensitive to spicy foods.
- Rice: Adding uncooked rice to the soup allows it to soak up the rich flavors of the soup while it is cooking. Plus, it cooks right into the soup so there is no need to cook it beforehand and add another step!
More Soup Recipes
I don’t know about you, but when the weather gets colder, all I want to make are delicious, homemade soups. If you’re looking for more soup recipes, I’ve got the perfect Soup Series for you to check out!
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven.
- Saute the veggies. Add salt to taste. Add garlic and stir.
- Toss chicken in seasonings and add them to the pot. Cook ~7min. Then add thyme and rosemary.
- Add flour and stir.
- Add broth, half and half, soy sauce and hot sauce. Then add in the rice. Bring to boil then down to simmer until rice is cooked and soup thickens, ~15-20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so rice doesn’t stick to the bottom. Soup thickens quite a bit as it cooks/sits. Add more broth as desired.
- Garnish with parsley and parmesan.
Tips & Variations
- Save even more time and use already cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken and add during the last 5 minutes so it doesn’t over cook.
- To add more spice to your soup, garnish with freshly sliced jalapenos.
- Since this soup is made with rice, the rice soaks up a lot of the liquid. When reheating, I recommend to add in more broth or water to thin the soup back out.
- Feel free to cook the rice on the side and add to the bowls so the rice doesn’t soak up all of the liquid.
- Be sure to taste the soup as you go, adding more salt or seasonings to build flavor at each stage of the cooking process.
- And on the other end, if you feel you’ve over seasoned your soup, it’s OK! Simply add in a little more water or broth to balance it out.
FAQ
Can I use other types of rice?
I like using long-grain white rice, but for a heartier nuttier taste and texture try brown or wild rice. Either adjust the cook time or cook the rice separately and add at the end.
Can I use milk instead of half and half?
The answer is yes, but there will be a difference in the richness of the soup. I would use whole milk if you have it!
How long can I keep Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup in the refrigerator?
Stored properly, it will last 3 to 4 days.
Can I freeze Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup?
I personally would not freeze a cream soup because you risk the cream separating when thawing it out. Also, starchy soups do not freeze well.
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Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp. mustard powder
- 1/4 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. chili flakes
- 3 Tbsp. butter, unsalted
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. hot sauce
- 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- salt and pepper, to taste
- garnish: Parmesan cheese, black pepper, fresh parsley
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Place the diced chicken pieces in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the salt, Italian seasoning, mustard powder, paprika and chili flakes and stir to coat the chicken. Set aside.1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. mustard powder, 1/4 tsp. paprika, 1/4 tsp. chili flakes
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Melt the butter and then add in the onions, carrots and celery. Add kosher salt to taste. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.3 Tbsp. butter, unsalted, 1 medium yellow onion, diced, 3 large carrots, peeled and diced, 3 stalks celery, diced, 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Add the seasoned chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink. Then stir in the thyme and rosemary.1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped, 1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables and chicken pieces.1/4 cup all purpose flour
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth, half & half, soy sauce and hot sauce. Then add in the rice and stir. Turn the heat up to medium-high to bring to a boil and then turn the heat back down to low to simmer the soup until the rice cooks and the soup thickens, ~15-20 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently so the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.6 cups chicken broth, 1 cup half and half, 1 Tbsp. soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. hot sauce, 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
- Note: Since this soup is made with the rice cooked directly in the soup, the rice absorbs a lot of the broth and the starch released from the rice thickens the soup. Add more broth or water as desired to thin out the soup, especially when reheating leftovers.
- Taste the soup, add more hot sauce, salt, pepper, etc. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with shaved Parmesan, black pepper and fresh parsley and enjoy.garnish: Parmesan cheese, black pepper, fresh parsley, salt and pepper, to taste
Video
Notes
- Storage: keep in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Made this tonight exactly as written in recipe. So delicious! Easy recipe to follow along with as well. Love that it mostly all goes in one pot- easy clean up!
I am so glad, thank you! 🙂
I made this for the family tonight and it did not disappoint!
I added extra chicken and sliced mushrooms, but other than that I stayed pretty close to the recipe.
Will definitely make this again.
So glad it was a hit, thank you Toby!
I think this is my new comfort food recipe!!!!
Aww yay! I am so glad, thank you!!
Can I use a crockpot to make this?
Good question! I haven’t tested it out that way, but I bet there is a way to modify it to make it in a slow cooker. You’d probably need to either add the white rice afterwards, or use a brown rice or wild rice if you want the rice to cook in the slow cooker.
I made this soup today. Next time I will have extra broth on hand to add at the end. The rice makes it super thick and I didn’t have extra broth. Added a little water and half and half but was afraid of diluting the flavor too much so it’s still a little thick. Maybe cut the rice to 3/4 cup also.
It does thicken up quite a bit. Thank you for the feedback, I’ll be sure to note this in the recipe card as I am sure this will be helpful for other readers. Thank you for making it!
Such a delicious simple recipe! Made according to instructions with minor changes (didn’t have mustard powder, subbed leftover turkey for chicken) and it turned out perfect! Added a bit more broth as needed for consistency. Will definitely make again
oooo I can’t wait to make this with leftover holiday turkey! Thank you so much for making it, and leaving a kind review 🙂
My family raved about this soup! It was packed with flavor and made for a perfect fall evening meal. Thanks for sharing!
aw I am soo glad!! thank you 🙂
This soup is a new fave! It is absolutely delicious. The flavors in it are outstanding. I avoided adding the rice and instead cooked it on the side and added to each bowl.
thank you so much!! I like keeping the rice on the side, too 🙂
I never leave reviews but this is one of the, if not THE best soup I have ever made. My non-soup lover husband ate two bowls and agreed!
I did add more soy sauce to taste, as well as some marsala and white wine to descale the pan and added some shallots as well. Did not have half and half but whole milk worked like a charm. Used 3/4 cup of (rinsed) rice based on the comments. This will be a staple in our house!
amazing!! I am so glad 🙂 yay! love that modifications you made! thank you soo much.
This was wonderful! I rarely leave a review because I am left wanting…not with this soup. I did put in 3/4 cup rice after reading the reviews and I thought that was perfect. It was flavorful, comforting, and very easy and quick. I went back and looked for more recipes to try!
I am so glad Beth, thank you sooo so much!