This Chicken and Rice Soup is a true one-pot meal, with minimal dishes and no extra steps. It comes together in under an hour to make a dinner that’s hearty and satisfying without being too heavy. This recipe uses just a touch of cream to create a smooth and satisfying broth, but I also include tips to leave out the dairy if desired. Recipe includes a how-to video!
An Easy, Hearty One-Pot Dinner Recipe
I’ve got an easy, one-pot meal for you today, and it’s truly perfect for this time of year: the literal best chicken and rice soup.
Simple and hearty with minimal prep and virtually no clean-up, this recipe comes together in under an hour, so you even have time to whip up a batch of biscuits or breadsticks while it cooks!
Today’s recipe combines veggies, spices, chicken, and rice (plus a little bit of cream!) to make a flavorful soup. It’s thicker and slightly creamier than your average chicken soup, but still light enough that it doesn’t feel too rich. It joins the ranks of some of my favorite cold weather dishes, right alongside my popular potato soup and tomato soup.
All of the ingredients are pretty basic and easy to find, if you don’t already have them on hand. Save this one for an especially cold evening, or those inevitable evenings when you or a loved one has a cold–you can thank me later!
What You Need
This is a true one-pot dinner! We’ll cook everything in the same pot; no pre-cooked chicken or pre-cooked rice needed:
- Veggies. A classic mirepoix (carrots, onion, and celery) provides a hearty base for our soup. We’ll also throw in some minced garlic for extra flavor.
- Flour. As part of the roux, flour acts as a thickener in this soup. We add just enough to give the soup body, but not enough to make it super thick. If you can’t do flour, you should be fine to substitute cornstarch, but use half the amount called for!
- Spices. I add thyme, parsley, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the flour as it cooks to help bloom the spices and enhance their flavor. The smoked paprika may raise some eyebrows, but trust me! Just a pinch adds a subtle flavor and beautiful depth to the soup (it’s one of the secret spices I use to make my chicken pot pie the literal best, too).
- Chicken broth. I use regular, salted chicken broth. You could use unsalted or low-sodium, but you will probably need to add more salt to the recipe. Always make sure to taste-test your soup before you serve it!
- Chicken. I filmed used chicken breasts in the recipe video, but I also like to use a mix of breasts and boneless chicken thighs, as they add even more flavor to the soup.
- Rice. My preference is wild rice, but white, jasmine, or basmati rice would all work well.
- Cream. You’ll need a very small amount of cream or half and half (anything lower fat may split, so proceed with caution). You can omit this altogether if you want, but I find that it really enhances the flavor and texture of the soup without making it too rich or creamy.
SAM’S TIP: For freshness and added flavor, you can garnish your soup with some fresh parsley or a sprig of thyme.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup
- Melt your butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and sauté until softened.
- Add your garlic and cook briefly, then add flour and stir this until it’s absorbed. Add the spices and cook for a few more seconds, stirring until well-combined.
- Add chicken broth and bring soup to a boil, then add your chicken and rice. Cover and simmer until the chicken and rice are cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, shred it, then return it to the pot.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in your cream. Let the soup simmer a few minutes longer before serving.
Note for leftovers: As the rice sits (overnight or longer), it will continue to absorb the broth and will eventually become mushy. You can always add more water or broth the next day, but keep in mind this will dilute the overall flavor and you may need to add more seasoning as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
You will cook your rice in the soup–do not cook your rice beforehand! Not only does this save you a dish, but it also ensures you don’t lose any flavor and that the soup reaches the proper consistency.
This soup is designed to be hearty, but not too thick. As it cooks the rice and as it cools, it will thicken significantly, but if you want to make it thicker, you could use a bit more flour when making the roux (another Tablespoon) and reduce the chicken broth slightly (how much really depends on your preference).
You should make sure not to overcook your rice and check it as indicated, but also know that the longer the soup sits, the rice will inevitably get softer.
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook.
Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot Dinner Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (57g)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced (about 1 cup/140g)
- 3 stalks celery leaves removed and chopped (about 1 cup/105g)
- 2 large carrots chopped (about 1 cup/130g)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic about 3-4 large cloves
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon table salt plus additional to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus additional to taste
- 5 cups chicken broth (1.2L)
- 1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast or a mix of chicken breast and thighs (453g)
- 1 cup wild rice uncooked (180g)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (80ml) (see note)
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook until softened (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
- Sprinkle flour evenly over the pot and stir until flour is absorbed and no lumps remain. Add spices (thyme, parsley, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper) and cook several seconds longer until well-combined.
- Slowly, while stirring, add chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil.
- Add chicken and rice and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and rice is fully cooked (about 20 minutes).
- Remove chicken from the pot and cut or shred (I prefer to shred). If the rice is not tender yet, let the chicken rest, covered, beside the stovetop and continue to cook the soup, covered, until the rice is cooked through (that way you don’t overcook it). Once the rice is cooked through, return the chicken to the pot.
- Reduce heat to low then slowly stir in heavy cream until combined.
- Allow to simmer for several minutes before serving warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Rice:
White rice, wild rice, jasmine, or basmati would work well in this recipe. I like to use wild rice. Pre-cooked rice will work in this recipe but the broth will be thinner as the recipe as-written accounts for the fact that the uncooked rice will absorb some of the broth.Pre-Cooked Chicken
You can use pre-cooked shredded or diced chicken in this recipe instead, simply stir it in before adding the cream and allow it time to properly warm up.Cream:
You may omit the cream if desired, or substitute half and half. The amount used here does not make for a very rich and creamy soup, but it does add some depth of flavor and a more velvety mouthfeel to the broth.Storing:
This soup will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Please note that the rice will become mushy the longer it sits and it will continue to absorb the liquid in the soup. You can always add a splash of water or more chicken broth when reheating but may need to add more salt/pepper as well (taste-test before serving).Freezing
I generally don’t recommend freezing soups that contain cream as the dairy may split, however this recipe uses a small enough amount that you *may* be able to get away with it. I have not frozen this soup myself, but if you try it please leave a comment and let me know how it thaws for you. You may also leave out the cream and freeze the soup for at least 1 month.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Sam
YUM! This was quite nice and very satisfying. Now I am generally annoyed when people review something but didn’t follow the recipe as written. However, here I am doing the same thing (sore!!), as I made some small changes so as not to waste leftover ingredients: I used an entire bunch of celery (except for the very center pieces) because I didn’t have anything to do with the rest if I’d only used the three stalks the original recipe called for. I then upped everything else a little to compensate for the extra celery: I used a large onion (instead of medium) and 4 medium carrots (instead of 2). I like to use the boxes of chicken stock from Costco, which are only 4 cups each, so I also used a regular size can. However the can was 14.5oz, so overall I used just under 6 cups (why throw out a half a can?), which turned out fine because of the extra veggies. Increased the flour from 3 to 4 tablespoons. Finally, I increased all of the spices by 1/4 tsp. each. All in all I feel like I followed the same recipe, since I essentially just increased everything a little except the rice and chicken. I’m so happy to have found this recipe (and that it’s mushroom FREE!!), and will be putting it in my regular rotation. So good!
Cindy
Great hearty soup Sam! Made this for dinner along with popovers!
Diane Foley
Really good recipe. My husband and I love this soup. Thanks for sharing.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks so much for your review, Diane! Enjoy 😊
Karen
This soup was delicious! Using wild rice, it needed 45 minutes to cook. Thanks for the recipe.
Heather
Made this for dinner tonight. Everyone loved it!!! Sam, you never lead us astray! My elementary school aged kids said I need to make it again. Highly recommend to make this if you’re thinking about it.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it was a hit for you and your family, Heather! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review 😊
Debbie Ayers
It has been so cold here so I made this soup tonight for the first time. Oh my gosh, it was delicious! Hearty and flavorful. I made it exactly as written except I substituted rotisserie chicken for raw. I will be passing this recipe along to my friends. Thanks!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Debbie! Thanks for trying our recipe and sharing it with your friends 😊
Nancy
Made today. Used all the same ingredients.. It was perfect!!! Rice took about 45 minutes. Served with your great garlic cheddar cheese biscuits.
I have never had a single failure with any of your recipes.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for trying our recipe, Nancy! We’re so happy you enjoyed it. And great idea to serve it with the biscuits–yum! 😊
Katie
This was delicious! Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Katie! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 😊
Kathleen Oates
Made it today.. I used white rice because I did not have wild rice.. So good! My family loved it and I will definitely make this again. I also made the French Onion.. very good.. and the chicken tortilla is a big hit with my family.. I use rotisserie chicken which is a big short cut. Thank you again for another excellent recipe.. You are the best!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Kathleen! Thank you so much for trying my recipes, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Deborah
I made this last night wonderful hearty recipe. Love the touch of smoked paprika. I didn’t have wild rice on hand but used white rice and it worked fine had to add a little more chicken broth because the rice I used soaked up a lot of the liquid. I will be making this again and I am sharing with others. Thank you for a great recipe😊❤️
Sam
I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed, Deborah!! 🙂
Nicole
Unfortunately I didn’t double this recipe and as a result we were all gathered around the pot, scraping out every bit! Needless to say this recipe was absolutely fabulously delicious!!! Another keeper! Thanks, Sam!
Sam
I am so happy to hear everyone enjoyed! Thanks so much for trying my recipe, Nicole, and for letting me know how everyone liked it! 🙂
Jennifer Beemer
Made it tonight It was wonderful! My kids didn’t care for the wild rice and I figured that so I did half wild and added it. Then about half way through cooking added the brown and finished out boiling. So Rich and yummy!
Sam
I am so happy to hear this, Jennifer! Thank you so much for trying my recipe <3
Bob Thomas
You did it again! Another winner with my family. I help my sweet wife of 50 years in the kitchen. Had the chicken and was thinking about chicken pot pie or oven cooked chicken. Saw your email and reviewed the recipe. Sounded good. I have made chicken and rice casseroles several times. Never chicken and rice soup. Your instructions were simple and I produced a very tasty stew along with some buttermilk cornbread. Thanks so much for this one. We can’t wait to make it for our grandkids. My youngest son and primary food critic said this one goes on rotation…his highest rating. LOL
Sam
Yay! I am thrilled to hear this, Bob, and honored that it’s going into dinner rotation! 😀
Thank you so much for trying my recipe and for letting me know how it turned out, I really appreciate it! 🙂
Aubree
This is so delicious! I have made it twice now and it is Mmm Mmm lip smackin good. My husband loved it especially because of the wild rice. The first time I omitted the cream as I didn’t have any and the second I had it and added. Both so very good. It’s a common term around our home to say “It’s a Sam recipe”. You deliver consistent excellent recipes. Non related… if you have a good Cinco De Mayo dessert recipe, I am looking. Thanks Sam!
Sam
Thank you so much, Aubree! I’m honored to be so well recognized. 🙂