Soup season continues here on The Recipe Rebel and I’m back with this easy Chicken Rice Soup! It’s hearty, healthy, and creamy so it ticks pretty much all of my boxes 😉 Soup is pretty much my favorite way to get loaded up an all kinds of healthy stuff, and this one is no exception (this Chicken Pot Pie Soup and this Cabbage Soup are more favorites!). I’ve used onions, garlic, carrots and celery but you could add all kinds of vegetables here. Mushrooms would be great (if you’re into that sort of thing), peppers, spinach, kale, or even frozen peas stirred in at the end. I often do this to cool down the soup for my kids and it works like a charm (plus, extra veggies!). I know that a lot of Chicken Rice Soup recipes use wild rice, but with the long cook time I just didn’t think I wanted to go that route. You can, if you like, but keep in mind that it requires an even longer cook time that brown rice. We use brown rice because it packs more fiber and protein, but still cooks in a reasonable amount of time. And we always have a giant bag around! If you like this one, you might also enjoy this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, this Chicken Wild Rice Soup or this {Quick} Chicken Bacon Rice Soup!
How to make Chicken Rice Soup:
Here’s a quick overview with some step by step photos! See the full recipe down in the recipe card.
Saute carrots, onion and celery before adding garlic and spices to toast. Add the broth and deglaze the pot if necessary (scraping any stuck on bits off the bottom)
Add uncooked chicken and uncooked, rinsed rice to the soup pot — both will cook directly in the broth!
When the chicken is cooked, shred it and add it back into the pot. Stir in the evaporated milk if using — you can omit for a dairy free soup. Additionally, you can whisk in some corn starch before adding to the soup if you prefer a thicker soup!
Variations of this Chicken Rice Soup:
As mentioned above, feel free to swap out the vegetables or add more in! You do need to keep cook time in mind though and may want to add them at the end if they are quick cooking (like broccoli for example, unless you like it very tender). I use brown rice, but you could also use wild rice (a much longer cook time) or white rice (a lesser cook time). Again, keep in mind for the swaps you make you may need to adjust the liquid and cook time. If you really want this to be quick, you can use instant rice, but you may want to leave it out of the soup until the carrots are cooked because they can take a while to become tender and you don’t want mushy rice! This soup is naturally gluten-free, but double check all of your packages to be sure. This soup can easily be made dairy-free, by omitting the milk or cream.
How to make ahead Chicken and Rice Soup ahead:
This soup is great refrigerated and reheated, so feel free to make a large batch on the weekend for quick, easy meals during the week.
How to freeze soup:
Low fat milk does not freeze well and will separate. If you know you plan to freeze, I recommend using whole milk or even cream as the higher fat content does better when frozen and thawed. Cool to room temperature, then place in a large freezer bag, seal completely, and lay flat to freeze in a thin layer. This will help the soup to thaw quickly when you need it for dinner! To thaw, you can submerge the bag in lukewarm water until thawed, then reheat to desired temperature in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To make Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup:
You will follow many of the same steps, but the cook time will be considerably longer:
Add the veggies, broth, chicken and rice to the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-6 hours or until the rice is tender — brown rice will cook considerably longer than white rice. Remove chicken and shred. Add back to the slow cooker with the evaporated milk.
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