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Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup has simple ingredients, but it’s so comforting and hearty. It is quick and easy, loaded with fresh vegetables and rice, making it a great weeknight meal.

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Easy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe:

This homemade chicken and rice soup from scratch was the very first soup recipe I learned to make when I was first learning to cook. It’s full of vegetables, chicken and rice. We especially love the addition of fresh greens; they give so much flavor to this hearty dish.

This simple dish is perfect to make for someone who is not feeling well and need a warm bowl of comfort. My mom did that for me few times after my husband and I got married. We lived few minutes from my parents and my mom would bring a pot of super delicious chicken and rice soup.

The whole process of chicken soup takes no more than 30 minutes. It’s the perfect dish to make when you’re not feeling like cooking, but want a hearty, homemade meal.

Our kids love this soup any time of the day. It’s a great dish to make when it is cold outside and you need to warm up. It’s seriously the best chicken rice soup recipe to have on hand because it is quick and easy and everyone just loves it!

Chicken Rice Soup Ingredients:

The ingredients for chicken soup are so simple and very likely you have them on hand and in your pantry.  You’re welcome to add other great vegetables to it, such as peppers, kale, spinach or even frozen peas stirred in at the end.

  • Cold water – we start with cold water by bringing it to a boil before adding any ingredients. You can increase or reduce the water amount and adjust the salt to taste if you like more liquid in soups.
  • Yukon gold potatoes – these are our favorite, but you can use red potatoes or russet potatoes if you prefer. Just keep in mind that cooking time for these will vary and the texture of soup might slightly be different.
  • Carrots – we like them thinly sliced, but you can grate onto big hole of grater or cut into small cubes.
  • Yellow onion – gives a lot of flavor. We add it at the beginning and remove it at the end.
  • Arborio rice – we like that this rice gets all fluffy and mushes a bit.
  • Canned chicken breast in water – the easiest and always on hand ingredient. Rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken can also be used.
  • Better than bouillon roasted chicken base – gives so much flavor. Chicken broth can be used instead, but reduce the water and salt amount.
  • Fine salt and ground black pepper – we use a pinch or couple of pepper to season chicken breast and same goes for salt. Season soup to taste with salt.
  • Ground coriander – a little goes long way! Coriander is strong, therefore, a bit of it for amount of liquid in this recipe is just enough.
  • Bay leaf – adds a nice touch of flavor.
  • Fresh green onions, dill and parsley – we love fresh greens in soups, but if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute for dried herbs. I’m using curly parsley, but regular parsley or even cilantro work great as well!
  • Grapeseed oil – we use it to brown the chicken because we think it tasted better. If you’re not browning chicken, you can add butter to replace oil in soup. Soup needs a bit of fat so it does not taste bland.

How to Make Chicken Rice Soup:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven (4-6 qt), over medium-high heat, bring 8 cups cold water to a boil. Then add cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon chicken base and whole onion. Bring back to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes.

2. Rinse 1/4 cup uncooked arborio rice. Add rice and 1/4 tsp ground coriander to the pot with soup. Keep cooking for 10-15 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium/high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and rinsed in cold water canned chicken. Season with salt and ground pepper (pinch-two of each). Brown chicken for few minutes.

4. Remove and dispose whole onion from soup, add chicken and season with salt (1-1 1/2 tsp or to taste).

5. Bring soup back to a boil. Remove the pot from heat and add the chopped greens. Give a gentle stir and serve. Keeping soup on hot wire or prolonged cooking once greens are added, will turn the greens into light green-yellowish color.

What is the Best Rice to Use?

I usually use arborio rice for this recipe because it gets mushy and fluffs up nicely. You can also use basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice or wild rice if you prefer. Just be aware that brown rice and wild rice need more time to cook, so plan accordingly.

Helpful Tips:

  • I typically use canned chicken breast in water in this recipe. However, you can also use rotisserie chicken from store, leftover chicken or even chicken thighs.
  • Rinse chicken under cold water to remove that extra chicken odor.
  • If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can substitute for frozen if you have on hand or use dried dill, dried parsley and dried onions or chives. Just keep in mind that fresh herbs give so much more flavor than any dried herbs.
  • I like to use chicken bouillon for chicken soup, but you can replace it for chicken broth and reduce the amount of water and salt.
  • For even more veggie-friendly meal, add more vegetables such as pepper, spinach and kale.
  • This soup is hearty enough to be a complete meal, but we always enjoy it with homemade bread on a side, like No-Knead Bread or our all-time favorite White Bread Machine Bread.
  • This recipe can be easily made in either instant pot or slow cooker.

Do I Need to Cook Rice Before Adding to Soup?

In most recipes we don’t want rice to get too soft, but in this recipe that is exactly what we want. That what makes this comforting meal super delicious. If you would like to use leftover rice, stir into soup couple minutes before serving so that rice has a chance to warm up and you don’t end up eating cold rice with hot soup.

Can You Freeze Chicken and Rice Soup?

Typically, you would freeze most soups having delicious results once reheated. However, because this soup has potatoes in it, I would not recommend freezing it. I have not experimented it myself, but freezing potato soups is not recommended by those who did try. Potatoes tend to have an odd texture when defrosted and the soup really won’t be the same anymore.

Other Soup Recipes to Explore:

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup has simple ingredients, but it’s so comforting and hearty. It is quick and easy, loaded with fresh vegetables and rice, making it a great weeknight meal. #chickensoup #chickenricesoup #soup #olgainthekitchen #easyrecipe #dinner #potatosoup #chickenbreast #chicken

Easy Chicken and Rice Soup

5 from 18 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Easy Chicken and Rice Soup has simple ingredients, but it’s so comforting and hearty. It is quick and easy, loaded with fresh vegetables and rice, making it a great weeknight meal. 

Ingredients 

  • 8 cups cold water
  • 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2” pieces
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin slices
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon chicken base
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup arborio rice, - uncooked
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 (12.5 oz) can chicken breast in water, (rinse in cold water)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, - or to taste
  • 1/4 cup green onions - finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh dill - finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - finely chopped
  • ground black pepper, - pinch or two

Instructions

  • In a large pot or dutch oven (4-6 qt), over medium-high heat, bring 8 cups cold water to a boil. Then add cubed potatoes, sliced carrots, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon chicken base and whole onion. Bring back to a boil and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Rinse 1/4 cup uncooked arborio rice. Add rice and 1/4 tsp ground coriander to the pot with soup. Keep cooking for 10-15 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender.
  • Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium/high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and rinsed in cold water canned chicken. Season with salt and ground pepper (pinch-two of each). Brown chicken for few minutes.
  • Remove and dispose whole onion from soup, add chicken and season with salt (1-1 1/2 tsp or to taste).
  • Bring soup back to a boil. Remove the pot from heat and add the chopped greens. Give a gentle stir and serve. Keeping soup on hot wire or prolonged cooking once greens are added, will turn the greens into light green-yellowish color.

Notes

  • Rice: I usually use arborio rice for this recipe because it gets mushy and fluffs up nicely. You can also use basmati rice, jasmine rice, brown rice or wild rice if you prefer. Just be aware that brown rice and wild rice need more time to cook, so plan accordingly. Feel free to use leftover rice and stir it into soup couple minutes before serving so that rice has a chance to warm up.
  • Chicken: I typically use canned chicken breast in water, but you can also use rotisserie chicken from store, leftover chicken or even chicken thighs. Rinse canned chicken under cold water to remove that extra chicken odor.
  • Fresh herbs: If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can substitute for frozen if you have on hand or use dried dill, dried parsley and dried onions or chives. Use smaller amounts of dried herbs. Keep in mind that fresh herbs give so much more flavor than any dried herbs.
  • Chicken base: I like to use chicken bouillon for chicken soup, but you can replace it for chicken broth and reduce the amount of water and salt. Use 1 cup chicken broth to replace 1 tsp of chicken base and 1 cup water.
  • Add veggies: For even more veggie-friendly meal, add more vegetables such as pepper, spinach and kale.
  • Enjoy with bread: This soup is hearty enough to be a complete meal, but we always enjoy it with homemade bread on a side, like No-Knead Bread or our all-time favorite White Bread Machine Bread.
  • This recipe can be easily made in either instant pot or slow cooker.
  • Freezing soup: I would not recommend freezing this soup. Potatoes tend to have an odd texture when defrosted and the soup really won’t be the same anymore.