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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.
What you’ll need
- Celery, onion, carrots, and garlic – the base for many soups. I like using sweet (Vidalia) onions best.
- Olive oil – for sautéing
- Flour – it’s a thickener
- Chicken broth – for another layer of flavor
- 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
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the ladle I use for my soups. It doesn’t spill all over the place when serving.
- For all my soups I like to use a Dutch oven. It’s sturdy and conducts heat great.
- I mince the garlic cloves with this garlic press. One squeeze and no sticky fingers!
How to make creamy chicken and rice soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the carrots, celery, and 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 and stir 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, and cook until both it and the rice are cooked through. Season generously with salt & pepper.
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!
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
- Leftover chicken and rice soup 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 creamy chicken soup, or want to write a review a star rating? Talk to me in the comments below! You can also find me on Instagram.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 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
- Add the olive oil, celery, carrots, and onion to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and flour and cook for about a minute.
- Slowly pour in the broth and stir/scrape up the browned 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 medium 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).
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How much rice would I need if I was using long grain white instead of jasmine??
So, I find them to be quite similar. I’d use the same amount.
This is a family favorite. My daughter calls it “celery soup” and does backflips every time I make it! So easy, cheap, and GOOD!
Aww I love that!! 🙂
This soup is delicious. I am no a big fan of chicken soup, but this soup has changed my mind- loved it. I used 2 percent milk instead of the heavy whipping cream and it was creamy enough for us.
We definitely will be making this a few more times before winter is over.
Well that’s so nice to hear, Sheri! Thank you!
Hello…. I like to use Chicken Stock because it has more flavor than Chicken Broth.
Is that okay to substitute for this recipe!? Thanks!!
Absolutely! It may be a little thicker, but it’ll taste great. Enjoy!
Made this tonight and it was a hit with my family! You are correct in your direction to be quite liberal with the S&P! Instead of italian season I used thyme, parsley, and rosemary simply because I did not have that on hand. I also added a little more olive oil before adding in the flour and did a 1/4 instead of 3Tbsp. I did end up adding another cup of chicken stock towards the end to stretch it a bit since my family like the creamy sauce. I am fairly certain they would drink it as a beverage if I allowed! Thanks for the recipe! I did add the chicken in when I added the rice and it came out lovely.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! 🙂
This was so delicious and comforting to eat. A definite keeper!
So happy you enjoyed it, Kirsty! Thanks for writing me a review!
Update – we had the leftovers the next day and it was just as delicious. I added about 1/4 tsp water to each bowl before microwaving and it was just as good as fresh.
🙂
I made this tonight and the family loved it! A couple things that stood out to me while I was preparing- usually when making a roux to thicken soup, you use equal parts fat and butter, not the case here and it hardly thickened up at all even though there was plenty of flour called for, I am wondering if the ratio of fat/flour was why. I had to add cornstarch in the end to thicken.
Also, I never add cream before boiling/simmering and I just couldn’t make myself do it this time so I added it in the end with the chicken. The soup was bland so I had to add A LOT of salt and pepper and more dried herbs. Next time I will add a pinch of red pepper flakes, a bay leaf, and fresh parsley. Thank you for a great, versatile base soup recipe! Looking forward to making again and changing up a few things.
I never comment on food blogs but I can’t help myself with this recipe. I made this at my friends’ house for a movie night that we were having and left the leftovers there, only to be texted by their mother asking for the link to it. Two days after texting her the link, I prepared it a second time (this time completely for myself). It’s indescribable, other than it’s delicious and was the perfect cure to my stomach’s uneasiness after I didn’t feel like eating all day today.
Thank you thank you for sharing!!
Aww I’m so happy you enjoyed it so much. Really appreciate your review! 🙂
So delicious and easy! Family loved it too. Served with garlic bread but a crunchy crouton or crumbled bacon would be a great add on. Will also add spinach next time.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Patty! 🙂
Just made this for lunch. It was delicious and made super quick! I used one of your suggestions and used rotisserie chicken to help cut down on time and it was perfect. Thank you!
Fantastic!! So glad it was a hit. Thanks for your review!
This turned out fantastic. I did not have celery or heavy cream so substituted extra carrots/onion and half and half I had on hand. Also I didn’t have Italian seasoning so made my own blend and used 1/2 teaspoon of that. Was a hit with my husband and kids as well!
Yay!! I’m so pleased you guys enjoyed it!