When you need a delicious, warm bowl of comfort food for dinner, this easy Chicken and Rice Soup recipe is exactly what your body and soul need.
Hot soup, whether enjoyed on a cold day or by someone feeling under the weather, is something everyone can appreciate. And this chicken soup takes nothing more than a few simple and fresh ingredients you probably have around in your pantry and fridge and in 30 minutes; you can be hugging a warm bowl brimming with chicken, veggies, and rice!
Unlike the chicken soup our moms and grandmothers made, which involved cooking the chicken and making your own stock, this recipe cuts out all those extra steps with the help of a rotisserie chicken.
Now by all means, if you bought a rotisserie chicken for another recipe, like my Chicken Wraps, Southern Chicken Salad, or Chicken Noodle Soup and have enough to make this soup and want to make your own stock… do it!
Rotisserie chickens are one of my favorite purchases at the grocery store, they’re inexpensive and the meat is always tender. If I don’t feel like baking a big batch of chicken for dinner in my weekly meal plan, I usually grab one or two to use in salads and wraps for lunches or main dishes like Burrito Bowls, tacos, pasta, and soups.
Can I add more veggies to this Chicken and Rice Soup?
This recipe is versatile so that you can add or subtract veggies as you like.
Great options for veggies include:
- green peas
- chopped spinach
- corn
- green beans
- extra herbs– thyme, rosemary, and oregano are perfect
green peas
Now, if you love quick and easy soups, here are a few more healthy and delicious recipes you’ll definitely want to try:
Before you dig in, don’t forget the popovers! What’s a hot bowl of soup without a light popover that melts in your mouth to soak up the broth? They sound fancy but you make the batter in a bowl and a muffin tin does the rest!
How to freeze chicken and rice soup leftovers
Leftovers are very easy to freeze. I like to divide them into 1 cup measurements and freeze them in a freezer bag. To enjoy a warm bowl of delicious chicken soup, simply thaw out, heat, and eat!
What are some of your favorite soups to make in the winter?
Chicken & Rice Soup
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or poultry seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 32-ounce containers low sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, from a rotisserie chicken
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook and stir until the veggies are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and chicken meat, stir and cook over medium-low heat until the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Notes
Kitchen Note: If using brown rice, you will need to cook for 45 minutes or until the rice is softened. Add the chicken in the final 30 minutes of cooking.
Nutrition
- Calories: 182
- Sodium: 237mg
- Fat: 5.6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Protein: 7g