Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

This easy chicken and rice soup is comfort food at its best. It's a nourishing soup with simple ingredients that comes together quickly.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken soup, white rice

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Total Time 50

Servings

Calories 342kcal

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 brown rice will work well
Salt to taste if needed at the end
Parsley for garnish
Lime Wedges for serving optional
Hot Sauce for serving optional

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.

Use low sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt. Adjust the salt at the end, if needed.