Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe: Easy One-Pot Comfort Food

This chicken and rice soup recipe is the kind of simple, one-pot dinner that always disappears fast at our table. Chicken breasts simmer right in the broth until tender, then get shredded and returned to the pot along with rice, carrots and celery. It is ready in under an hour and tastes like something that simmered all day.

Why this chicken and rice soup recipe works

Cooking the chicken directly in the broth, instead of using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken, does double duty. The chicken comes out tender from a gentle simmer, and all those juices go straight back into the broth instead of getting left behind on a cutting board.

The first time I made a big batch of this for the week, I stored the leftovers with all the rice already in the pot. By the second day the rice had soaked up nearly all the broth and the soup was closer to a thick porridge than a soup. Now if I am making it ahead, I cook the rice separately and stir it into each bowl right before serving instead of into the whole pot.

If you love this kind of chicken soup, our classic chicken noodle soup is another cozy one worth trying.

Ingredient notes and substitutions

Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts keep this simple, but bone-in breasts or thighs work too and add even more flavor to the broth, just add a few extra minutes to the simmer time and remove the bones before shredding.

Rice: Long-grain white rice holds its shape best here. Brown rice works too, but it needs closer to 35 to 40 minutes to cook through, so add it earlier along with a bit of extra broth since it absorbs more liquid.

Broth: Store-bought chicken broth keeps this quick, but if you have homemade broth on hand, it makes the soup taste even richer.

What to serve with this soup

A warm slice of crusty bread or a buttery biscuit is the natural partner here, since there is broth left in the bowl worth mopping up once the chicken and rice are gone. Cornbread works just as well if that is what you have on hand.

A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette rounds out the meal without competing with the soup, since this is already a fairly rich, savory bowl on its own.

Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

Recipe by Mounalisa

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Soups u0026amp; Stews

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

A chicken and rice soup with chicken breasts simmered right in the broth, then shredded and combined with long-grain rice, carrots and celery.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 3 carrots, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 8 cups chicken broth

• 1.5 lbs (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 3/4 cup long-grain white rice

• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Pour in the chicken broth and add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and let them cool slightly, then shred them into bite-sized pieces using two forks.
• Stir the rice into the pot and simmer, uncovered, for 15 to 18 minutes, until the rice is tender.
• Return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, just until heated through.
• Remove the bay leaves, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley.

Storage and reheating

Let the soup cool before transferring it to an airtight container. It keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though the rice will keep absorbing broth as it sits, so add a splash of extra broth or water when reheating if it has thickened up more than you would like.

This soup freezes well for up to 3 months. For the best texture, freeze it without the rice and cook a fresh batch to stir in after reheating, since frozen rice tends to turn mushy once thawed. For general guidance on safely storing and reheating leftovers, the USDA food safety guidelines are a solid reference.

Nutrition estimate

These are rough estimates based on the ingredients used, not a lab-calculated value, and will vary depending on the exact brands and cuts you use. Per serving (about 1.5 cups): approximately 280 calories, 24g protein, 6g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 2g fiber.

Frequently asked questions