Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this velvety Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.
Shredded chicken, fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and hearty rice in a soothing, flavourful broth. This soul-warming, comforting soup is the perfect companion for chilly evenings.
No leftover cooked chicken? No worries. I’ll show you how to make it with boneless chicken fillets instead.
Do you love orzo pasta? Try my chicken and lemon soup with orzo!
I’ve been making this creamy chicken and rice soup recipe for several years. I thought it was about time I put it on the blog! It’s filling, hearty and full of goodness.
When I’m feeling weary, chilly or just overall disheartened, I make a generous batch of chicken soup. I then cozy up on the couch with a big bowl of it, occasionally indulging myself in some really lovely fresh bread from the bakery. God, I know how to live.
Why you’ll love this creamy chicken and rice soup recipe
- Chicken soup is good for the soul: It’s so true! A bowl of creamy soup with chicken and veggies is comfort food of the highest order.
- A nutritional meal in a bowl: with a hearty consistency and wholesome ingredients, this soup not only satisfies hunger pangs but also provides sustained energy. All you need is some good crusty bread to serve alongside and you’ve got yourself a filling and comforting lunch or dinner.
- can be made ahead of time: This recipe can easily be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for a few days, meaning you’re never far away from a creamy bowl of deliciousness.
- Quick and easy to make: This soup takes just 30 minutes start to finish (with using leftover chicken).
Ingredients
Find the ingredient amounts and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts OR shredded cooked leftover roast chicken.
- Celery
- Carrots
- Leek
- Onion
- Garlic
- Herbs – dried thyme and rosemary
- Chicken stock/broth
- Long grain white rice. You could also use Basmati rice, but it will take slightly less time to cook.
- plain flour to thicken the soup, optional
- Double (Heavy) cream
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season
- Freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
how to make chicken and rice soup
This is an overview with step by step photos for clarity. The full list of ingredients and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step one – Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan. Add the chopped vegetables to the pan, season with a little salt and pepper and cook on a low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the vegetables are beginning to soften.
Step two – Add the crushed garlic, dried thyme and rosemary and cook for one minute. If you adding the flour, add it now and cook for one minute, stirring well.
Step three – Slowly pour in the hot chicken stock, stirring well (this is particularly important if you’ve added flour to prevent lumps from forming).
Step four – Stir in the rice, then bring to the boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice and vegetables have softened.
Step five – If you’re using leftover cooked chicken, stir it into the pan. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is piping hot.
If you’re using raw chicken breast pieces, add them to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook on a low-medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the chicken is tender and there are no traces of pink meat.
TIP – To ensure the chicken cooks evenly and quickly, cut the fillets into small bite-sized pieces.
Step seven – As soon as the chicken has cooked/heated through, stir in the double cream and chopped parsley. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then taste to see if you want to add more salt and pepper.
what to serve with creamy chicken and rice soup
This filling soup is definitely a meal in itself, but add some good bread, such as a homemade white loaf or cheesy soda bread and you’ve got yourself a feast!
I also love soup with oatcakes or potato scones with lots of proper butter. So good.
Ingredient Substitutions
I use long-grain white or Basmati rice in this recipe. Basmati takes a little less time to cook, about 10-12 minutes.
You can use wild rice instead, but it would take longer to cook – probably about 20-25 minutes. You would also need to add about 1/2 cup more stock.
can i use low fat cream?
I wouldn’t recommend using low fat milk or cream. Full fat not only tastes much nicer, it’s also much less likely to split and curdle.
Can I add different ingredients?
Of course! Feel free to add whatever vegetables you like. I tend to stick to the classic onion/leek, carrot/celery combo for this recipe, but sweetcorn or a handful of peas would work well.
Make it dairy free
For a dairy free soup, swap the double cream for a plant based alternative, such as Alpro or Oatly.
Storing leftovers
Store Leftover chicken and rice soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
As the soup is stored for an extended period, the rice absorbs more liquid, resulting in a much thicker consistency. When reheating, you’ll need to add some more chicken stock/broth to achieve the desired texture.
Can you freeze this soup?
Unfortunately, this soup does not freeze well due to the cream and rice, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
More easy soup recipes to try
Creamy chicken and rice soup
This creamy chicken and rice soup is good old-fashioned comfort food and very simple to make. Serve with fresh bread for a filling and satisfying lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 a leek, finely sliced
- 2 sticks of celery, cut into small pieces
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour (optional, for a thicker soup)
- 120g uncooked long grain rice
- 1.5 litres hot chicken stock (I use cubes or stock pots - you'll need 3 or 4 to make a flavoursome stock)
- 225g leftover cooked chicken, shredded OR 3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into evenly sized bite sized pieces
- 100ml double (heavy) cream
- 2 tablespoons (or more if you love it) freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan and add the onion, leek, celery and carrots. Season with a little salt and pepper, then turn down the heat to low and cook for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Don't allow them to turn brown.
- Add the crushed garlic, dried thyme and rosemary to the pan and cook for one minute. If you're using the flour, stir it in now and cook for one minute.
- Stir in the hot chicken stock and rice. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables and rice are tender.
- If you're using leftover shredded chicken, add it now. Heat through for 5 minutes.
- If you're using raw chicken pieces, stir them to the pan. Make sure the chicken is cut into small bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly. It will take between 5-10 minutes to cook though. When it's ready, the chicken will be soft and tender with no traces of pink meat.
- Stir in the double cream and chopped parsley and heat for a couple of minutes before serving.
Notes
The soup is delicious without adding flour, but it does make a slightly thicker "stand your spoon up in it" soup.
For a dairy free option, swap the double cream for a plant based alternative, such as Alpro or Oatly.
A handful of sweetcorn or peas are a lovely addition, if you fancy adding different vegetables for a change.
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days.
As this soup is stored for an extended period, the rice absorbs more liquid, resulting in a thicker consistency.
When reheating, it's advisable to incorporate a small amount of chicken stock or broth to loosen the texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 269Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 394mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 26g
Calories and nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
this looks so tasty will be making it this week I think
I hope you enjoy it 🙂