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Chicken and Rice Soup is a comforting, one-pot meal that is loaded with flavor. You won’t believe how easy (and affordable!) it is to make restaurant-quality soup at home.
Chicken and rice soup is quite similar to chicken noodle soup, only this bowl of comfort food is naturally gluten-free. Because it contains both protein and carbs, it feels like a complete meal and is ready to eat in just about 30 minutes.
If you don’t have rice on hand, be sure to check out my Chicken Vegetable Soup, which includes even more veggies!
Ingredients You’ll Need
You can use any veggies you have for this recipe, but a good base almost always includes onion, carrots, and celery. If you have frozen vegetables on hand, you can add those in, too!
Chicken thighs will turn out more tender when compared to chicken breasts, in this case, but you can use whichever option you prefer. If you would like to use leftover rotisserie chicken in this soup recipe, wait to add it in until the soup has finished simmering. It will heat up quickly!
Instead of using chicken broth as the base, this recipe calls for water to keep things affordable, and the flavor in your control. Try the recipe as written and see how it tastes! When you simmer the aromatic veggies, herbs, and chicken together, the water transforms into the most delicious broth, without relying on store-bought cartons.
Note: You can also add a bay leaf to this soup recipe for extra flavor. If you add this, you MUST remember to remove it before serving the soup, because it’s a choking hazard. I’m always scared I’ll forget to remove it, so I tend to leave it out of my soup recipes.
How to Make the Best Chicken and Rice Soup
Add olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat, and saute the onions, celery, and carrots until they start to soften. This should take about 5 minutes.
Next, add in the minced garlic cloves, thyme, and oregano and stir briefly, just until they smell fragrant.
Immediately add in the water, so the garlic won’t burn, and use your spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that nothing is stuck to the bottom. Add in the white rice, chicken thighs, salt, and black pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil on the stovetop, then cover the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. This chicken will take 15 to 20 minutes to cook through, depending on the size of the meat, and cooking it over low heat will prevent the chicken from becoming tough.
Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the center of the meat reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, then use tongs to carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board. Shred the chicken with two forks, or alternatively, you can quickly shred chicken with an electric mixer in a large bowl, or chop it up with a sharp knife.
Return the shredded chicken to the soup pot and adjust any seasoning to taste. If the soup tastes bland, you’ll need to add extra salt, and you can also brighten the flavor with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Garnish with fresh parsley or thyme, and serve warm. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and are easy to reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for a meal prep lunch or dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Brown rice takes roughly 45 minutes to cook on the stove top, so in that case, you might wind up over-cooking the chicken and veggies. Feel free to experiment with it, but in my experience, basmati or jasmine rice works best in this recipe.
Of course! When using fresh herbs, you’ll typically need to use 3 times the amount when compared to the dried version.
No, this chicken soup recipe was designed for the rice to cook with everything else at the same time. The rice will release starch as it cooks, slightly thickening the broth, and if you cook the rice separately, you’ll most likely need to use less liquid than this recipe calls for.
Yes, you can replace the chicken with 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas. Or try my Chickpea Noodle Soup for a tested variation.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion , chopped
- 4 medium carrots , peeled & chopped
- 4 celery ribs , chopped
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup uncooked white rice
- 6 cups water
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat and saute the onion, carrots, and celery until they soften, about 5 to 8 minutes. Then add in the garlic, thyme, and oregano and stir for 1 more minute.
- Add in the water, rice, chicken, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.
- Once the water is boiling lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the soup gently simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Use tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Place it on a cutting board and shred it with two forks, or use a knife to cut it into small pieces. Return the chicken to the soup and adjust any seasoning to taste. (I usually add another ½ teaspoon of salt.)
- Serve the soup warm, and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this chicken and rice soup recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
Hello Megan!
The recipe looks so delicious! I’m thinking of using my instant pot though. Would you say 5-7mins high pressure and natural release for this one? (After browning and sautéing the meat and veggies)
I usually cook soup for 10 minutes high pressure with a natural release, but if the chicken is already cooked first then I’d say your timing may work, as well! Let me know how your experiment turns out! 🙂
Thank you! I usually brown the chicken but they won’t be cooked through (and with bones). I’ll try 8-10mins and let you know how it turns out!
Thank you so much as always!
Yum! Made this using one can of chickpeas as recommended and used chicken broth instead of water to replicate the chicken flavor. I salted everything after tasting and used about 2 tsp of salt.
Would love an Instant Pot version of this soup!
You can’t go wrong with a classic like this. I make mine with brown rice, I just use chicken thighs, they don’t get dry when you cook them longer. I also like to add some chopped baby greens at the end for extra nutrition. Comfort in the bowl. 😊
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Megan,
I’m wondering if I can use Quinoa instead of rice?
Hi Anne! Yes, I think quinoa would have a similar cooking time so that should work well. Let me know if you try it!