A piping hot bowl of this creamy chicken and rice soup recipe is such a comfort on a cold day! It's simple to make with no fancy ingredients, and the rich broth is irresistible.
If you're craving a non-creamy version of this recipe, try my Easy Chicken and Rice Soup.
Why you'll love it
Hello comfort food! This cozy chicken and rice soup is straightforward to make and basically a hug in a bowl. The chicken and rice cook right in the soup, making it super convenient and so that cleanup is pretty minimal. That's an important factor for feeding hungry mouths after work.
I'm a big fan of jazzing up chicken soup while still using everyday ingredients you've probably already got in your pantry and fridge, so that's what we've got going on in this soup. While a classic Chicken Noodle Soup is always appreciated, sometimes changing it up with rice and a creamy broth just hits the spot. It makes a filling and easy meal all winter long.
What you'll need
- Celery, onion, carrots - the base for many soups. It's also known as mirepoix. I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions best.
- Olive oil - for sautéing
- Garlic - I mince the cloves with this garlic press. One squeeze and no sticky fingers!
- Flour - it's a thickener
- Chicken broth - for another savory layer
- Italian seasoning - it's a delicious dried herb blend that comes in a single jar. I use it in tons of my recipes, so it's a staple in my pantry.
- Rice - for this one I like jasmine rice. It's a flavorful long grain white rice.
- Heavy cream - it adds a rich, luxurious touch to the broth
- Chicken - we're using uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Pro tip
- If you do need to make this soup ahead of time, I suggest cooking the rice separately and adding it to each bowl just prior to serving so that it doesn't soak up a lot of broth before it's time to serve it. It absorbs it pretty fast!
How to make creamy chicken and rice soup
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the carrots, celery, onion in a Dutch oven or soup pot with the olive oil until softened, followed by adding in the garlic and flour.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth until the flour dissolves, and then scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Italian seasoning, rice, and cream.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Add in the chicken during the last 7-10 minutes of cooking so it remains tender. Season generously with salt & pepper.
Substitutions and variations
- You can use rotisserie or leftover Baked Chicken. Just be sure to add it in towards the end of the cooking time, around the last 5 minutes, so it doesn't overcook.
- Swap for chicken thighs if you prefer. I would leave them intact and add them in at the same time as the rice. They're a lot harder to overcook than chicken breasts and become more tender the longer you cook them. Just shred them with two forks, and add the meat back to the soup once it's done cooking.
- I wouldn't sub the heavy cream for something lower fat. It could lead to curdling since we're cooking at a fairly high heat, and the soup won't taste as good.
- I don't recommend swapping the white rice for brown rice or wild rice directly because it takes much longer to cook and wouldn't work as written. However, you can cook a different variety of rice separately and add it into the soup at the end if you wish.
What to serve with chicken and rice soup
- This soup is a hearty meal as-is, but you can definitely serve it with a slice of crusty French bread, sourdough, or Garlic Bread.
- I also enjoy pairing it with a side salad. Try mixed greens with my Classic Homemade Ranch Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that the longer it is, the more the rice will absorb the broth.
- Reheat this chicken soup in a saucepan over a low heat, giving it a splash of broth to thin it out if needed.
- This is not one of those soups that freezes well due to the cream and rice.
Questions about this cream of chicken and rice soup, or want to drop a review? Talk to me in the comments below! You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
A piping hot bowl of this creamy chicken and rice soup recipe is such a comfort on a cold day! It's simple to make with no fancy ingredients, and the rich broth is irresistible.
Ingredients
- 1 stick celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup uncooked white jasmine rice
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 pound uncooked chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces/strips
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the veggies and chicken.
- Add the celery, carrots, onion, and olive oil to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for a minute.
- Slowly pour in the broth and stir/scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot until the flour has dissolved.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, rice, and cream. Increase the heat to high, and once the soup comes to a gentle boil, give it a good stir, then reduce the heat so it's simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes. I stir it every now and then to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the chicken and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the chicken and rice are both cooked. Season with salt & pepper as needed (I am generous with both). This soup will soak up the broth FAST. You may need to add more chicken broth if you prefer a less thick soup, and you'll definitely have to add broth to leftovers. Cook the rice separately if you don't plan on eating it right away (add rice to individual portions just before serving).
Notes
- Recipes serves 4-6 depending how much people eat/what it's served with.
- 1 pound of chicken breasts usually works out to 2 chicken breasts (a bit less or more than a pound is fine).
- This recipe is best enjoyed right after it's made. Soups with rice and cream typically don't freeze too well.
- I don't recommend subbing the cream for something lower fat in case it curdles (the cream is cooked over a fairly high heat).
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 30gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 1046mgPotassium: 852mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 6056IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 2mg
Sheila W says
My family loved it. Because my grandson is allergic to dairy products, I used plant based cream.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you were able to adapt it and everyone loved it, Sheila! 🙂
Emma says
This is the best recipe I’ve made from salt and lavender (besides the creamy chicken piccata). I made the rice on the side and followed the rest of the recipe as written. Since the rice is in the side, the soup didn’t get too thick. Definitely will be making it again!
Natasha says
Aww I'm so glad!!
Meghan Ohlson says
We had this tonight and my toddler, husband and I loved it! I left out the celery due to taste preference and I highly recommend. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you.
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Ali says
Made this today
I cut up everything the night before and stored it in the fridge
My 12 year old grandson canceled Taco Tuesday after sampling my creamy chicken rice soup after school
This recipe tasted even better when I heated it up for dinner
Three of us ate it for dinner and I had a bowl earlier just to sample it and we still have one serving left
It’s delicious and Thank you for sharing
It
Natasha says
You're very welcome! I'm so happy it was a hit with your grandson! 😀
Val says
I tweaked the recipe a little. I left the celery out and replaced it with mushrooms. Also added roughly chopped spinach at the end. Cooked my rice ahead of time in my instant pot as I will be the only one eating this soup. It was absolutely delicious! I served toasted ciabatta bread on the side. Perfect meal! Thank you for the recipe!
Natasha says
Sounds good to me!!
Emily Milks says
I made this tonight. So easy to follow the recipe. My family loved it. Even my young children! Nice and hearty ! Thank you -Emily
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Thrilled to hear it's a new family favorite, Emily!
Nichole says
I am always looking for recipes like this. Most fall short. This was fantastic!! Simple to make but full of flavor. I made my own broth which I think kicked it up even more!!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled it was a hit, Nichole!
C.Stone says
Simply delicious - I did add quite a bit of salt and pepper (and some Flatiron Pepper) Definitely a keeper - Quick and easy! Perfect for a cold night.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Yup, this type of soup definitely needs plenty of seasoning! Thanks for your review! 🙂
Terry Bowler says
Fantastic recipe!! I am definitely keeping this one! I didnt think it was going to make a lot but this is a perfect recipe for two. Now we'll see how the leftovers!
Natasha says
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it!
Gail Conder says
Hi,
Have you made this in an Instant Pot? Your recipe sounds delicious
Thanks
Gail
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't. Rice can be a bit tricky in the IP... sometimes it sticks and gives a burn warning. I'd definitely add the cream in after you do the high pressure part.
Alexis says
I’m so glad I found this recipe. In the last month I’ve made it 5 times! And the leftovers with the broth all soaked in are just as good as the soup🤣
Natasha says
Hahaha I love that!!
Pe’pe’ says
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the batch because it wouldn’t have been enough for my family. I did, however use a total of 1 quart whipping cream, one quart half and half and extra milk because it got really thick as it set. Then it was like chicken and rice casserole. 🙂 I also added a tablespoon of chicken base. Everyone loved it.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it!! 😀
Sandy says
Holy smokes!!! This is amazing! Two tweaks and that was adding sliced baby Bella mushrooms and wild rice instead of Jasmine rice. THANK YOU!
Natasha says
Thrilled to hear it!! You're welcome! 😀
Carey says
This is the second time I’ve made this. It is AMAZING. Second time I was short 1 cup of chicken broth so I mixed one cup of water with the seasoning package from some ramen 🙂 I didn’t end up adding any salt and it was perfect.
Carey says
Adding 5 stars since I forgot the first time around.
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Paula says
Delicious soup! Thanks for sharing. Easy to follow recipe
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂 Thanks for your 5-star review, Paula!
Rachel says
Absolutely loved this recipe! Made it for some sick family members and had enough leftover for me. Will be making again to freeze for the winter!
Natasha says
I'm so glad it was a hit! 🙂
Valerie says
Really yummy--I'll definitely make this again! I didn't have any Italian seasoning so I just used a shake of this and that (sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, poultry seasoning) from my spice drawer. Also used chicken thighs instead of breasts. I made a pot of rice separately and when serving, just spooned rice into the bowl and covered with soup. After initial meal was done, I combined the rest of the rice into the soup and have used extra broth to thin the soup for leftovers. I'm happy!
PS--I've followed you on Instagram and bookmarked so many recipes. Can't wait to try more. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Valerie!! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for following along.
Melissa says
My favorite chicken soup recipe ☺️ I use the chicken from my chicken back used to make my bone broth and also add 6 cups broth from the start…sometimes do 1 cup rice. You can’t mess this up!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's awesome to hear, Melissa! So glad it's a favorite of yours. 🙂
Karlie says
Could you throw all of this together in a crockpot and cook on low for about 8 hours? Add the rice when it’s about an hour or so left?
Natasha says
I think you could give that a try, yes, but I haven't tested it. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Jennifer says
So if using un cooked chicken I still add this to the soup or do I cook the chicken before hand?
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Hi Jennifer! It sounds like you skipped over the blog post. "The chicken and rice cook right in the soup". Enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Katie says
Can you use canned cream of mushroom or chicken soup in place of cream if you don’t have it in hand?
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Hi Katie! Those are not direct substitutes for heavy cream and we haven't tested, but if you've done similar before, feel free to experiment. Let us know how it goes!
Rachel says
This recipe had to be one of my absolute favorites! Very delicious. I didn’t have heavy cream and substituted room temp cream cheese, half a cup after the rice and veggies cooked the 10 minutes in broth and a tablespoon of milk. I hit it with the wisk hard to make sure it didn’t curdle and was smooth. Then I added the chicken and I added broth as needed to make sure I didn’t get it too think. We ate it with homemade cheddar biscuits and really really enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
Morghan says
This cream cheese tip was aces (including the whisking call-out!) - I did the same in the absence of heavy cream, and it worked out great. Thank you!!
Mary says
This soup is delicious! I used the ingredients I had on hand, using canned chicken breast, and "Better than bouillon". I didn't have enough cream, so I reduced the recipe. It was great!
Natasha says
So glad you were able to make it work, Mary! 🙂
Laura says
Just made this and it is absolutely delicious!! I used a rotisserie chicken and cooked the rice separately as a few others had suggested to do. Thank you for a great recipe!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 🙂
VioletMora says
Thank you for this recipe, I love this soup.
Natasha says
You're very welcome!
Kaleigh Satterfield says
I loved this!!! So delicious! I added cauliflower and corn to it, and then trooped it with some sharp cheddar. If you want a comforting soup that will be a crowd pleaser (even kiddos) this is it!
I may try and make it in the Instant Pot next time.
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Jenna says
SO DELISH! I’ve made several times already this season. I kept it plant based by adding coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream, and excluded the chicken. I’ve also made some different variations by adding lemon, and other herbs & spices such as rosemary and thyme. Great recipe and / or base recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! Love your adaptations!