Dutch oven chicken and rice soup

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This Chicken and Rice Soup is comforting made with everything you need in a meal. Protein, carbs, and lots of veggies! It’ll leave you warm and filled up after just one bowl. It’s a simple and fast meal you’ll be happy to have in your repertoire for those busy weeknights.

The Best Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe

There can never be too much soup in my life! Simmering all these incredible ingredients together, creating such a beautiful marriage of flavors. Not just that, but it’s my favorite way to clean out my fridge of all its odds and ends. Soup never goes unappreciated in my home.

I’m all about creating soups that leave you feeling satisfied. This recipe features everything you need in a well-rounded meal! When you have hungry mouths to feed but you’re crunched for time, this type of recipe is my go-to. With just one pot to clean and dinner ready in under an hour, homemade is always an option.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken And Rice Soup

• Simple Recipe! This one-pot recipe requires no fancy ingredients or special cooking techniques. You only need a few pantry staples and about an hour.
• Gluten-Free and Good! Rice is gluten free which means this noodle-free soup is too! It’s a great way to give your belly a break for a meal. 
• Make Ahead Meal! Chicken rice soup keeps incredibly well in both the fridge and freezer. And the leftovers are even more flavorful the next day, which makes this a great make-ahead meal.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Olive oil – You can use avocado, sunflower, safflower, or vegetable oils instead.
• Veggies – Onion, carrot, and celery.
• Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
• Chicken breasts – Boneless or skinless. Thighs will also work.
• Bay leaves – Fresh or dried.
• Thyme – Fresh sprigs.
• Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
• Rice – Any type works. I used white long grain.
• Chicken broth – I like to use low sodium to have full control over the salt.
• Parsley – Freshly chopped, for garnish.

How To Make Chicken And Rice Soup

This recipe is not complicated at all! Everything cooks in one pot with no need to precook the rice. All you have to do is sauté a few ingredients, add some broth along with some rice, and you’ll have yummy ready to eat soup in just about an hour. Easy as can be!

Sauté The Veggies

To start, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Then add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes or until soft and the onion is translucent. Next, toss in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until it’s aromatic. But take care not to overcook the garlic by letting it brown. 

Sauté The Chicken With The Veggies

Once your veggies are soft, stir in the cut-up chicken cubes and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is done and no longer pink. The juices of fully cooked chicken should run clear.

Add The Rice, Spices, Broth And Cook

Now it’s time to really get the soup going. Add the bay leaves, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper, rice, and chicken broth to the pot. Next, stir the mixture and bring it to a boil over medium-high.  Then turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes with the lid on. Chicken with rice soup is considered done when the rice is fully cooked.

Finish The Soup And Season

When the soup is finished cooking, first remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then taste your soup for seasonings and adjust as needed with salt and pepper. This is a personal preference. I also added a bit of vegeta, which is a European seasoning. But chicken bouillon works as well.  

Serve And Enjoy

To serve, dish out the delicious homemade chicken and rice soup into bowls, garnish with fresh chopped parsley, and enjoy. I like to serve my soup with easy Italian Skillet Pull Apart Bread or Crescent Rolls.

What Is The Best Rice To Use For Soup?

I find that the best rice to use in soups are long grain white rice such as basmati or jasmine rice. You can also use brown rice or wild rice, but just keep in mind that they take longer to cook and may require more liquid.

What Else Can I Add To My Soup?

Maybe you like your soup even more loaded up, or maybe you have some ingredients nearing their end of life. Here are a few fillings that would taste fantastic in your soup:

• Corn
• Peas
• Green beans
• Broccoli/cauliflower
• Kale/ spinach
• Chopped chilies
• Freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Expert Tips

1. Don’t overcook the veggies. You just want to soften the onion, carrots, and celery before adding the chicken. Sautéing them for too long can turn them into mush as the soup continues to cook.
2. Season at the very end. Because soup slowly reduces as it cooks you don’t want to put the final touches on seasoning until the very end to prevent yourself from over-salting. 
3. Add more veggies. Feel free to add any veggies you like to your chicken and rice soup. Good choices are spinach, cabbage, and kale as well as mushrooms or even some fresh chopped tomato before serving. 

Serve Chicken And Rice Soup With

Leftovers

Make sure your chicken and rice soup has cooled down to room temperature before storing it. You can leave it right in the pot with the lid, or transfer it to an airtight container. Leftovers will last 3-4 days in the fridge.

To reheat, microwave your soup for 30 seconds at a time until heated through. You can also reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. If you’ve found that the rice has absorbed too much of the liquid and the soup consistency is too thick, add some more chicken broth or water.

How To Freeze

Whether you have leftovers or you’d like to have some dinners made in advance, this recipe is a great option. You can freeze this soup right in the pot you made it in, or transfer it to an airtight container. Make sure your soup has cooled down fully before putting it in the freezer.

If you’re making a batch ahead of time, I suggest leaving the rice out until you reheat and cook it fresh in the soup. This way the texture of the rice won’t be compromised and fall apart after reheating.

Reheat your soup either in the microwave, stirring often, or straight into a pot on the stovetop.

Other Delicious Soup Recipes To Try

• Lentil Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Lemon Rice and Chicken Soup (Avgolemono)
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup
• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Italian Meatball Soup

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