This easy chicken and rice soup is comfort food at its best. It’s a nourishing meal made with simple ingredients and comes together quickly. Forget the canned stuff—if you’ve got a little time, homemade is the way to go.
Sure, we take a shortcut with pre-packaged chicken broth, but the fresh vegetables, chicken breast, and rice make it taste like it was made from scratch. It’s easy, satisfying, and doesn’t take long.
What’s great about this recipe
- It makes good use of leftover chicken and rice, but it can also be made with fresh rice and poached chicken without too much extra work.
- This delicious soup is a great way to get vegetables in—without getting complaints.
- It’s an easy, budget-friendly meal that’s perfect for chilly days and cold nights.
Ingredients
🍗 Chicken – We use boneless, skinless chicken breast in this recipe. Start with raw chicken and poach it for the soup (see cook’s note), or save time by using rotisserie chicken. Just remove the skin and bones, then shred or dice it. Cooked, boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well too if you prefer dark meat.
🌾 Rice – Use cooked long grain white rice, jasmine rice, or brown rice. If you’re not using leftovers, make a fresh batch. You can also cook it a day ahead—just cool it quickly and refrigerate. Reheat thoroughly before adding to the soup. Need a how-to? Check out this post on how to make white rice for perfect rice every time.
🥕 Vegetables – Yellow onion (or white), carrots, celery, and garlic add flavor and texture.
🧂 Spices – This wholesome soup is simply seasoned with black pepper and salt, added to taste at the end.
🫒 Oil – We use olive oil to sauté the vegetables, but any oil suitable for sautéing can be used.
🥫 Chicken broth – Use homemade or your favorite store-bought broth. If you’re watching your salt intake, go with reduced sodium and adjust the seasoning at the end if needed.
🌿 Garnish and serving – Top with chopped fresh parsley or your favorite herbs. Serve with lime wedges and hot sauce on the side for a little extra kick!
Cook’s note
I like using poached chicken to make this soup. It’s simple and takes less than half an hour. Poaching means cooking food gently in liquid over moderately low heat until it’s cooked through. The liquid is usually water, broth, or stock, and it can be flavored with aromatics, herbs, and spices. If you poach the chicken, don’t discard the cooking liquid—strain it and use it for the soup. For easy step-by-step instructions, visit this poached chicken recipe.
How to make chicken and rice soup
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Gently cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, stirring almost constantly.
- Next, pour in the chicken broth while stirring and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil. Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Lastly, add the shredded chicken and cooked rice. Raise the heat and let the soup return to a simmer. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 10–15 minutes. Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours.
Ladle the chicken and rice soup into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired. A squeeze of lime juice and a dash of hot sauce give the soup a little zip!
Storing instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze the soup, cool it quickly and transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Leave 1–2 inches of space at the top to allow for expansion. Freeze for 2–3 months.
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low to low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through (at least 165°F). You can also reheat it in the microwave. If the soup has thickened during storage, add a few tablespoons of broth or water to loosen it.
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely! Brown rice, jasmine, or even orzo (rice-shaped pasta) work well. Whatever you choose, make sure it's fully cooked before adding it to the soup.
Yes, rotisserie chicken is a great time-saver. Just remove the skin and bones, then shred or dice the meat before adding it to the soup.
This soup is great for using leftover rice. It also stretches a pound of chicken into a wholesome meal made with easy-to-find, affordable ingredients.
If you're a fan of homemade chicken soups try this chicken egg noodle soup or a made-from-scratch Cuban-style chicken soup that includes a flavorful broth. Prefer something creamy? Try this chicken and wild rice soup—it’s comforting, and delicious.
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📖 Recipe
Easy Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion finely diced
- 2 large Carrots sliced into rounds or half rounds depending on their size (about 1 cup)
- 1 large Celery Rib sliced or diced (about ½ cup)
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 6 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 pound Cooked Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts shredded or diced
- 1-1½ cups Cooked White Rice (long grain white rice, jasmine rice, or even brown rice all work)
- Salt to taste if needed at the end
- Parsley for garnish
- Lime Wedges for serving optional
- Hot Sauce for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Gently cook the vegetables for 5 minutes until the onions start to soften, stir frequently.
- Add the garlic and black pepper to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stir almost constantly.
- Next, add the chicken broth while stirring and gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer the soup for 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken and cooked rice to the pot. Raise the heat and let it come back to a simmer. Cover the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook the soup for another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep it at a simmer. Raise or lower the heat as necessary.
- Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra to ours.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with lime wedges and hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Jean Brownlee
GREAT RECIPE I BAKED IN THE CHICKEN BREASTS IN OVEN WITH OIL,GARLIC POWDER ,SALT PEPPER TILL PINK WAS GONE
I ADDED ROASTED GARLIC , COOKED THE RICE SEPARATELY, ADDED 1/2 C EMULSIFIED DICED CANNED TOMATOES, 1/2 CAN NIBLET CORN,SQUEEZE OF LEMON AT THE END OF COOKING
TURNED OUT GREAT