Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This creamy chicken and rice soup recipe is like a hug in a bowl and simple to make. Tender chicken breast, rice, and the creamiest broth make for one yummy soup!

If you want a non-creamy version of this recipe, try my Easy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Hello comfort food! I'm not even the biggest chicken soup fan (I know... you wouldn't know it from the amount of chicken soup recipes I have on here), and I really liked this soup. I guess the rice and the creamy broth really is up my alley, though. 😉 

How to make chicken & rice soup:

This soup is straightforward to make, and the chicken and rice cook right in the soup, so dishes are pretty minimal. You start by sautéing the mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion), then add in the garlic and flour. Chicken broth is then stirred in until the flour dissolves, and then you add the Italian seasoning, rice, and cream. Bring the soup to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes. The chicken is added in during the last 7-10 minutes of cooking so it remains tender. (Full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below)

Recipe notes, tips, & troubleshooting:

• You can use already cooked/rotisserie chicken, just be sure to add it in towards the end (last 5 minutes or so) so it doesn't overcook.
• Swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts for 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 2 forks and add the meat back to the soup once it's done cooking.
• This is not one of those soups that freezes well due to the cream and rice. If you do need to make it a bit ahead of time, I suggest cooking the rice separately and adding it to each bowl just prior to serving. 
• As with any recipe, swap ingredients at your own discretion. There is a chance that substituting the cream with a lower fat alternative will lead to curdling since the soup is cooked at a fairly high heat. I don't recommend swapping the white rice for brown rice or wild rice because it'll take much longer to cook. However, if you want to use a different kind of rice, cook it separately and add it into the soup at the end.

This soup is a hearty meal as-is, but you can definitely serve it with a side of crusty bread (or garlic bread) and/or a salad.

You may also like...

• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Ranch Chicken and Rice Casserole
• Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
• Turkey Wild Rice Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

Questions about this cream of chicken and rice soup? Let me know in the comments below!

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This creamy chicken and rice soup recipe is like a hug in a bowl and simple to make. Tender chicken breast, rice, and the creamiest broth make for one yummy soup!

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 548 kcal

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

Keyword cream of chicken and rice soup, creamy chicken rice soup

Author Natasha Bull