Nothing says comfort like a bowl of delicious Chicken and Rice Soup full of carrots, celery, sweet onion, roasted chicken and tender white rice. This simple yet filling soup is full of wholesome ingredients that you can feel great about feeding your family. Many of these ingredients are common household staples and you may already have them in your refrigerator or pantry
We are a soup loving family. In fact we eat it year round. After all isn’t that one of the main reasons they created air conditioning. Just kidding. For those of you that are seasonal soup eaters fall and winter will be here before you know it and with it comes all things soup. After all soup is good for the soul, body and mind. I just love a good hot bowl of soup. This soup, Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, Chicken and Dumpling Soup and Creamy Dill Pickle Soup are just a few of our favorites.
How to make Chicken and Rice Soup
Start by melting a little butter in a dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Then add the onion, celery and carrots and cook until they begin to soften and are aromatic. Next reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme leaves and poultry seasoning. Cook for one minute stirring continuously.
Now pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaves. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked rotisserie chicken and minute rice. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don’t forget to remove your bay leaves. This soup is best served promptly so the rice does not overcook.
Helpful tips for making Chicken and Rice Soup
- Cut your veggies in small uniform bites so they cook evenly and so that there is a variety of vegetables in your soup spoon when you eat it.
- I love to use already cooked rotisserie chicken. They are delicious and available at almost all grocery retailers and warehouse stores like Sams and Costco.
- If you want to kick the seasonings up a notch or two consider adding 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
- Add the spices at the same time as the garlic. It helps to cook them with a little bit of the fat from the butter to keep them from simply floating to the top.
- Minced garlic burns easily so reduce your heat, cook for about one minute and stir constantly. Burnt garlic is bitter and does not taste good.
- Remove your bay leaves before serving as they are stiff and have sharp edges
- For an extra special treat serve with homemade Ciabatta Bread. You will love it.
- This recipe is perfect for leftover rice and/or chicken.
What is Minute Rice?
Minute rice is white rice that has already been cooked and dried. It is perfect for soups, easy to add, very dependable and ready to eat in minutes. You could alternately cook a couple cups of white rice and add it at the end. Or add one cup uncooked white rice at the same time as the chicken broth. Cover the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Then add the cooked chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Increase butter in the first step of the recipe to 4 tablespoons. Next add 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) flour to the vegetables right after you cook the garlic and spices. Stir the flour in and cook for an additional 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Now add 3 cups chicken broth and 3 cups milk alternating between the two. Don’t forget the bay leaves. Simmer for about 10 -15 minutes. Add the minute rice and simmer for 5 minutes or until the rice is tender and soup is thickened. Now add the cooked rotisserie chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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PrintChicken and Rice Soup
This easy Chicken and Rice soup is made with simple ingredients in about thirty minutes. It is a full meal in and of itself or enjoy with fresh bread or a garden salad.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 1/2 cups cooked chicken shredded
- 1 1/2 cups Minute Rice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook for 3-4 minutes stirring several times. Reduce heat to low. Add garlic, thyme and poultry seasoning. Cook for one minute stirring constantly.
- Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the cooked chicken and minute rice. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the rice is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove bay leaves.
Notes
- Remove your bay leaves before serving as they are stiff and have sharp edges.
- Cut your veggies in small uniform bites so they cook evenly and so that there is a variety of vegetables in your soup spoon when you eat it.
- I love to use already cooked rotisserie chicken. They are delicious and available at almost all grocery retailers and warehouse stores like Sams and Costco.
- If you want to kick the seasonings up a notch or two consider adding 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning.
- Add the spices at the same time as the garlic. It helps to cook them with a little bit of the fat from the butter to keep them from simply floating to the top.
- Minced garlic burns easily so reduce your heat, cook for about one minute and stir constantly. Burnt garlic is bitter and does not taste good.
- Remove your bay leaves before serving as they are stiff and have sharp edges
- For an extra special treat serve with homemade Ciabatta Bread. You will love it.
- This recipe is perfect for leftover rice and/or chicken.
Keywords: homemade chicken and rice soup, homemade chicken and rice soup from scratch, easy chicken and rice soup
Our family is soup obsessed as well. I love making a big batch on Monday and everyone just gets to eat it throughout the week though it doesn’t seem to last too long. This one is so good!
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This Chicken and Rice Soup couldn’t look any more perfect!
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Tasty soup!
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I love chicken and rice soup! I am so excited to try this!
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Such an incredibly delicious soup!! My family would love this!
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This is such a yummy bowl of happiness right here. Good all year round!
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This soup was so warm and comforting – perfect for a cold day! Enjoyed the leftovers as well.
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What a comforting and easy recipe! Even though it’s summer I still enjoy a good soup for dinner and this turned out great!
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Such a comforting and delicious meal! Nothing beats a bowl of this – it’s so good!
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Such a really comforting meal!! I loved it!
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We love this soup!! Perfect for a cold night!
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This is such a great comfort soup! I made a large batch of this and froze the rest for a later date. It was so flavorful and easy to make!
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This is such a delicious and comforting recipe. My family loved it!
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