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Home Soups

Chicken and Rice Soup

By:Nagi
Published:16 Apr '18Updated:14 May '20
197 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

A Chicken and Rice Soup that will nourish your soul… A recipe with high returns for minimal effort!

This Chicken Rice Soup is made by cooking chicken pieces in the broth which yields a beautiful savoury, golden, flavour infused broth without having to man handle a whole chicken. Skip the rotisserie chicken – this is better!

Close up of chicken and rice soup in a rustic beige bowl, ready to be eaten.

Chicken and Rice Soup

I know there are plenty of quick and easy Chicken soups “out there” that will have you using pre cooked chicken or poaching chicken breast quickly then stirring it into the soup. And if that’s what your time constraints require, please see Note 1 in the recipe because I’ve given the shortcut steps for this, and you’ll have this soup on the table in 30 minutes. (And it will still be totally slurp worthy).

But for a smidge of extra effort and 30 minutes of hands off cook time simmering chicken pieces, you can have this Chicken and Rice soup with an incredible savoury, golden soup broth with flavour that money can’t buy.

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup being scooped out of a white pot.

Preparation steps for a homemade easy chicken and rice soup.

Best rice for soup

Most types of rice is great for soup. White, brown, wild rice, black rice, sushi rice, basmati and jasmine rice are all great. Even risotto rice and paella rice work!

For brown and wild rice, these take longer to cook than the simmer time for the soup. So they will need to be cooked separately before adding into the soup.

Can you put uncooked rice in soup?

Yes – uncooked rice is best to add into soup because it soaks up the flavour of the broth, making it extra tasty!

Overhead photo of easy chicken and rice soup in a rustic beige bowl, ready to be eaten.

How to store Leftover Chicken and Rice Soup

Leave the rice in the soup, and you’ll be horrified by the block of jelly-like sludge that you’re faced with the next morning, caused by the rice absorbing all the liquid.

To avoid this, there’s no option other than to use a slotted spoon or colander to separate the broth from the rice, chicken and vegetables and to refrigerate or freeze them separately.

If you’re making the Chicken and Rice Soup to take elsewhere, please see the recipe notes for the best way to do this (it involves using some of the broth + water to cook the rice separately, after which it’s added into the soup when ready to serve 🙂 ).

Add a soup dunker!

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Easy chicken and rice soup in a rustic beige bowl, ready to be eaten.

Adaptable recipe – make it your own!

This Chicken and Rice Soup recipe is a terrific base for adding your own touch. It’s slurp-worthy delicious as it is, but can take more veggies, more herbs, a squeeze of fresh lemon, or even other cooked proteins. Here are some ideas:

  • Zest and squeeze of fresh lemon is a beautiful touch of freshness

  • More veggies (chopped zucchini, stir in chopped kale or spinach, bell peppers)

  • Sub chicken with other cooked protein (500g/1lb cooked weight)

  • Add 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 2 sprigs, or a touch of other dried herbs

  • Try adding a can or two of crushed tomato for a light tomato based soup

  • For low carb, skip the rice and load up on more veggies. I like to fill it out with meaty veggies like broccoli and cauliflower.

If you’ve made this recipe your own, share what you did in the comments below. Tell us, tell us! We wanna know! 🙂 – Nagi x


Chicken and Rice Soup recipe
Watch how to make it

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Close up of chicken and rice soup in a rustic beige bowl, ready to be eaten.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Author: Nagi
Prep: 15 minutes mins
Cook: 55 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr
Soup
4.97 from 84 votes
Servings5
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Recipe video above. You don't need to manhandle a whole chicken to make a beautiful flavour infused, golden, savoury broth. Use chicken pieces instead - it's so much faster and the broth is absolutely incredible! Better flavour that using breast or rotisserie chicken. Inactive simmer time: 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter (or more oil)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1 onion , chopped
  • 3 carrots , halved then cut into 1cm / 2/5" slices (quarter if really thick)
  • 3 celery ribs , cut into 1 cm / 2/5" slices
  • 3 tsp Vegeta stock powder , or 2 x vegetable or chicken bouillon cube, or 2 tsp powder (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme, optional
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper , finely ground
  • 4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth , low sodium
  • 4 cups (1 litre) water
  • 600 g (1.2 lb) bone in , skinless chicken thighs, 4 x 150g/5oz (Note 1)
  • 1 cup (180g) long grain white rice , uncooked (Note 3)
  • Salt, adjust to taste
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley (optional)
Prevent screen from sleeping

Instructions

  • Place oil and butter in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
  • Add carrots and celery, stir for 1 minute.
  • Add stock powder, dried parsley, thyme (if using), pepper, chicken broth, water. Stir, then add chicken.
  • Cover with lid, simmer on medium low for 30 minutes. Adjust heat so it's bubbling a nice amount, but not crazy energetically or super slowly. Skim off excess foam build up once or twice (not critical, just makes broth clearer).
  • Remove lid, add rice. Stir, cover, simmer 15 minutes.
  • Remove soup from stove.
  • Remove chicken into large bowl. Shred with 2 forks, discard bones then stir into soup.
  • Stir in half the parsley, taste for salt and add if required. Serve, then garnish with extra parsley.

Recipe Notes:

1. CHICKEN: Fat is where all the flavour is, so I use bone in thigh for this recipe. I remove the skin otherwise the soup is a bit too greasy - just pull it off, it comes off easily. Skinless bone in thighs are sold in packets at Woolies in Australia - they are great value.
Alternative cuts: drumsticks will also work, no need to remove skin, use 1 kg/2lb. Skinless boneless thighs are the next best - but only cook for 15 min then add the rice, cook for further 15 min then take the chicken out, shred then return to soup, serve.
Store bought rotisserie chicken: Follow recipe except reduce water by 1 cup, use 2 1/2 cups of chopped or shredded chicken. Then add the broth and water, bring to simmer, add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes, then add rice, cook for 15 minutes, then serve.
Breast is so lean, it simply doesn't infuse the broth with enough flavour so I can't recommend it BUT in the event of an emergency, it can be used. Simmer 500g/1lb of breast gently for 10 minutes, then add rice and cook both for 15 minutes, remove breast, shred, return to soup, serve.
2. VEGETA STOCK POWDER (vegetable stock powder):

This is just a type of stock powder / bouillon cube in powder form. It's my favourite for clear soups like this for both flavour and also because it gives it that yellowish tinge that I associate with this soup. It's sold at supermarkets here in Australia alongside other stock powders & liquid broth, and here it is on Amazon. It's quite popular in European recipes, from what I've seen.
However, any vegetable or chicken bouillon cube (crumbled) or powder is perfectly fine to substitute.
3. RICE: Any ordinary white rice is ideal here - long grain, medium, short grain, sushi rice, jasmine and basmati. Quinoa could also be used. Paella and risotto rice are not suitable. Brown and wild rice needs to be added 5 minutes after the chicken is added (it needs 40 minutes to cook).
4. STORAGE: Use a slotted spoon to separate the rice and all soup contents from the broth. Store in separate containers, otherwise you'll end up with a stodgy mushy rice block! Refrigerate then reheat soup first, then add the rice and stuff.
Taking it somewhere? Here is what I do: Cook it all the way to the end but do not add rice. Cook the rice separately as follows: Place 1 cup rice in a saucepan with 1 cup of finished soup liquid plus 1/2 cup of water. Cover with lid then bring to simmer on medium, then cook for 12 - 15 minutes until water is all absorbed (tilt to check). Remove from stove, leave covered and stand for 10 minutes. Remove lid, fluff rice, then put rice in a separate container to the rest of the soup. To assemble, heat the soup, then add the rice.
5. Add Ins: See in post for ideas.
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings (it's a generous bowl). Reduces to 380 calories if made using 500g/1lb breast.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 638gCalories: 427cal (21%)
Keywords: Chicken and Rice Soup
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

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Life of Dozer

Nowhere in sight while I was chopping carrots and sautéing onion, then he thunders inside the minute chicken makes an appearance.

Thunders. Not loping or trotting. Thunders. 🙄

Dozer the golden retriever sitting under a bowl of shredded chicken

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197 Comments

  1. Michelle says

    September 23, 2024 at 5:48 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for my clients at our aged care social cottage today. They all raved about how delicious it was. All went back for seconds. Thanks for yet another fabulous, fail safe recipe.

    Reply
  2. Irene says

    June 27, 2024 at 7:30 pm

    5 stars
    I followed the recipe to the letter and it was perfectly cooked, so tasty and warming on a winters night. Personally I wouldn’t change anything

    Reply
  3. Leilani says

    June 24, 2024 at 8:09 pm

    5 stars
    My mum used to make this when I was a child, eek don’t tell her this one’s a bit tastier!!! Easy and delicious

    Reply
  4. Marjorie says

    June 24, 2024 at 4:56 pm

    This soup was very tasty on a cold winters day.
    Quick and easy to make .

    However next time i make it I think I will cook rice separately and add when needed.
    I found the need to strain the soup before refrigerating to be an extra task and washing up I didn’t need.

    Reply
  5. Marjorie says

    June 24, 2024 at 4:35 pm

    This soup was very tasty on a cold winters day.

    However next time i make it I think I will cook rice separately and add when needed.
    I found the need to strain the soup before refrigerating to be an extra task and washing up I didn’t need.

    Reply
  6. MO says

    June 9, 2024 at 10:10 am

    3 stars
    Lacked flavor at 30 minute simmer mark so I cooked another 2 hours and then it tasted as expected. As written I wouldn’t recommend, and if I’m going to cook it that long I’d rather make my stock from scratch. It does have good flavor after a long simmer though!

    Reply
  7. Leilani says

    June 6, 2024 at 7:38 pm

    5 stars
    Another WINNER! How seriously easy and seriously delicious with minimal ingredients! Yummmmy

    Reply
  8. Elizabeth McIntosh says

    May 15, 2024 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    Not really a soup household but my twins just got braces and cannot chew. So I made this soup and they said it was a 6 out of 5!

    Reply
  9. Angelique says

    February 1, 2024 at 3:53 am

    5 stars
    This soup was amazing! I did a smaller batch and it came out soooo good. We like to add hot sauce for a little zing. I would make this recipe 100x. Thank you!!

    Reply
  10. sara says

    January 30, 2024 at 3:41 am

    5 stars
    Amazing soup. I may try replacing the rice with stelline or ditalini pasta next time. I couldn’t bother with removing the skin from my chicken, but I didn’t mind the extra flavor and texture in the broth, though I was careful to skim as much as I could off the top while it was cooking. It satisfied all the picky ones in our house. I added oregano and I think Zucchini would also be a nice addition for some extra veg.

    Reply
  11. sara says

    January 29, 2024 at 5:52 am

    Nagi, can I make this in the slow cooker? Besides sautéing ghe vegetables, should I sear the chicken?

    Reply
  12. Diane Rybacek says

    January 3, 2024 at 12:17 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for the recipe Nagi! I have made it multiple times since discovering this “best chicken soup” recipe.

    Reply
  13. Lisanne Gomez says

    October 30, 2023 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    Hey Nagi,
    This soup has become my go-to whenever my husband or I are not feeling well.
    It’s super hearty and has us immediately on the mend 🙂 x

    Reply
  14. Janis Long says

    October 24, 2023 at 6:21 am

    5 stars
    I should rate more of your recipes but here at go 😊
    This soup is a bit of heaven…
    Perfect seasoning and I added the lemon juice and some fresh spinach. Very tasty ‼️
    When I am searching for recipes if your website comes up I always go for your recipes. Not sure but I think we love the same seasonings. I’m in Canada and the weather getting colder so a pot of savoury soup fits the bill.
    Give a scritch to Dozer and a big hug for you. You’re the best 😊😊

    Reply
  15. Sally Suttie says

    October 2, 2023 at 9:41 pm

    5 stars
    The best chicken soup recipe I have tried. The stock powder made such a difference. Going to be a family favourite.

    Reply
  16. Monica says

    September 12, 2023 at 7:08 pm

    5 stars
    I made this when my husband was not feeling well. Great hearty soup! Served with crusty sour dough bread.

    Reply
  17. Nessy says

    June 28, 2023 at 6:50 am

    5 stars
    So good. My family request this all the time.

    Reply
  18. Belinda says

    June 4, 2023 at 7:14 pm

    Another amazing dish that has become a regular in our household, especially if one or both of us is feeling under the weather. 🙂

    Reply
  19. Ron says

    May 29, 2023 at 6:43 pm

    5 stars
    Wow….easy and good…….I added a little to much rice….but dude…..the flavor…:)

    Reply
  20. Nicole says

    May 21, 2023 at 6:22 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic soup. Easy to make and delish!

    Reply
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