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Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

Published: / Updated: / 49 Comments

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This chicken and rice soup recipe is healthy, delicious, and comforting! It's ready in about 35 minutes. The perfect family meal. 

close-up of white bowl with easy chicken and rice soup with carrots

This is one of those soups that's perfect when you're wanting something that's homey and satisfying. No fancy ingredients here. Just homemade comfort food. 

Luckily, we're getting past cold and flu season now, but this is also perfect if you're feeling under the weather or want to cheer up someone who is. 

You may also like my Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

bowl of easy homemade chicken and rice soup with carrots

What cut of chicken to use in chicken and rice soup?

I strongly suggest using chicken thighs. They're more flavorful, and they're also way more forgiving when it comes to not overcooking them. I use boneless/skinless ones because they're easy, but you could definitely use bone-in ones and just remove the bones later. You can use chicken breasts if you wish, though. 

You could use rotisserie chicken, but then I recommend cutting the cooking time down a bit since the chicken is already cooked. 

What kind of rice to use in chicken and rice soup?

I used white jasmine rice. White basmati would work too. You could use brown rice, but it will take longer to cook, and you may need to add a bit more liquid to compensate. 

If you like comforting chicken recipes, try my Easy Chicken Stew.

yellow pot with the best chicken, carrots, and rice soup and ladle

How to make chicken and rice soup

  • Get it started: Prep your ingredients then sauté the onion and celery in olive oil.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the pot (garlic, carrots, chicken, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and water).
  • Cook for 15-20 minutes. The chicken will become fall-apart tender, the rice will thicken the soup, and the carrots will soften.
  • Shred the chicken and season the soup as needed. Enjoy! 

(Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

Pro tip: The rice will soak up more of the liquid the longer you leave it. You may want to add more broth if you're reheating it the next day.  If you're making the soup ahead of time, I suggest cooking it without the rice and adding the rice in before serving it. 

I like the way the rice releases starch and thickens the broth a bit. If, for whatever reason, the soup is a tad too thick for you, just add some more broth while cooking and it'll thin out no problem.

Love chicken soup? Try these recipes:

quick chicken and rice soup in a bowl with a spoon

Will you make this easy chicken and rice soup recipe? 

Questions? Talk to me in the comments below!

This easy chicken and rice soup makes the best family meal! It's quick, simple, and healthy.

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

This chicken and rice soup recipe is healthy, delicious, and comforting! It's ready in about 35 minutes. The perfect family meal. 
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 419 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 3 sticks celery chopped
  • 3 medium carrots peeled & sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 6 chicken thighs (boneless, skinless)
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 3 dashes Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup white jasmine rice
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Prep your onion, celery, and carrots. 
  • Add the oil, onion, and celery to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the chicken thighs, carrots, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and rice to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. 
  • Once boiling, reduce the heat so the soup's gently boiling. Give it a good stir to ensure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom.
  • Continue simmering for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots have softened. Keep in mind the longer you cook the soup, the mushier the rice will get.
  • Take the chicken out of the pot and shred it or cut it up prior to serving. Add it back in and then season the soup with salt & pepper as needed.

Notes

  • I used about 1.5 pounds of chicken in this recipe. Anywhere from 1-2 pounds should work fine (you don't have to use 6 chicken thighs, but I just buy them in packs of 6).
  • I love to sprinkle fresh chopped parsley on just prior to serving.
  • Chicken is safe to eat when it's reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness. 
  • 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: 419kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 22gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 987mgPotassium: 644mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5287IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 2mg
Keyword chicken and rice soup
Author Natasha Bull

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    • Natasha says

      Hi! Rice doesn't tend to freeze/thaw all that well... it'll likely go a bit mushy. If you're just planning on freezing leftovers, you definitely can, just add more broth when reheating. If you're planning on freezing the entire batch, I'd make the rice separately and add it once the broth has thawed.

      Reply

  3. Adina Walker says

    5 stars
    My first time making this delicious recipe. My family loved it. I used Rotisserie chicken in this recipe. I will definitely make it again!!

    Reply

  4. Berniece says

    Hi
    You mention Add the remaining ingredients to the pot (garlic, carrots, chicken, chicken broth,Italian seasoning and water)... how much water needs to be added?
    Trying to make this for the first time 😊

    Reply

  6. Alyssa says

    5 stars
    Loved it! So simple and used very few dishes to prepare. I think I cooked it a bit too long (trying to do too many things at once 😬) so there wasn't much broth left, but it was still so tasty and almost resembled a great casserole when I reheated it in my lunch the next day. Highly recommend!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so glad you liked it!! Yeah, in these types of soups it's normal for rice to soak up the liquid, so you could always add a bit more broth to leftovers next time if you wish.

      Reply

  9. shannon says

    5 stars
    Have made this many times. A great addition to weeknight cooking. If I want to let it simmer longer on stove I will just use the premade rice packets you put in the microwave and add rice at the end. Super easy. I add a little fresh tyme.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Laurie, I haven't tested it, so I am reluctant to give suggestions because it may not work. I'd probably cook it for 8 minutes on high pressure. Make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom prior to sealing it up (some of the newer Instant Pots especially get burn warnings for no reason). I have Instant Pot recipes here that have been tested: https://www.saltandlavender.com/category/instant-pot/

      Reply

  12. Billy Clyde says

    5 stars
    Superb. When a bachelor can follow a recipe and end up with something worth eating you know the recipe is inherently good. I followed it to the letter and myself and my sons polished it off in an afternoon. Later I did some experimenting and found that ground chicken removes a step and tastes just as good, Keep up the good work.

    Reply

  13. Kelly says

    This recipe was awesome... Very tasty. I used chicken thighs and this time I'm using rotisserie chicken.. I love the basmati rice too.. Excellent!!

    Reply

  14. Rissa says

    Loved the simplicity of this recipe but I jazzed it up with some white wine (reduced about a 3/4 cups with the onions and celery before adding the chicken and broth etc) and squeezed the juice of about one lemon in before serving. I love lemon in soup! I think it adds a beautiful, complex layer to any lovely soup dish. Also, for those interested, I used basmati rice as I couldn't find Jasmin (here in the UK) and it worked fine.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I buy McCormick brand, but Italian seasoning is a fairly standard mix of dried herbs, so I don't think it really matters if you use the same brand or not.

      Reply

  16. Hannah M. says

    5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight. The recipe was quick, simple, and full of flavor! This will definitely be going in my dinner rotation.

    Reply

  17. Chesley Thomas says

    This is delicious! But rice was mushy. Ate it anyway because it tasted so good! Maybe I’d add rice later....love your recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Yup, I think that different types/brands of rice can cook at different rates. Either cut down the cooking time a bit or add the rice later on. So glad you still liked it, though! 🙂

      Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi Sami! Unless I specifically mention it's covered then it'll be uncovered (I try to specify in my recipes). I don't think it matters too much in recipes like this one, though. You could always cook it covered with the lid slightly ajar. Hope this helps! 🙂

      Reply

  21. Courtney says

    5 stars
    For such simple ingredients this is amazingly delicious! My entire family came back for seconds, thirds and fourths 😄

    Reply

  22. Christine says

    Love this recipe, however there wasn’t really any broth left because of the rice when I made it, any tips?! Thanks! Made the hamburger one last week it was also delicious

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hmm... maybe add more broth next time? What kind of rice did you use? I am so glad the flavor was good and you liked the other recipe too! 🙂

      Reply

  23. Kelly C. says

    5 stars
    This is the second recipe of yours I've tried, and it couldn't have been any easier! I used low sodium chicken broth, and added my own salt at the end to taste to keep it heart healthy. Super delicious, and I don't feel unhealthy eating it! Thank you!

    Reply