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    Home » Chicken and Rice Soup

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    Published: Sep 19, 2020 · Modified: Jul 15, 2021 by Laura · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    This Chicken and Rice Soup is flavorful, hearty, healthy and it's made in one pot in under an hour! Chicken and wild rice soup is a perfect meal for busy, chilly nights, it makes great leftovers & freezes well too! 

    overhead view of a bowl of chicken and rice soup with fresh herbs

    Sometimes you just need a cozy bowl of soup on a chilly fall day. This Chicken and Rice Soup is one of our favorites, along with this tortellini soup, vegetable soup and sausage kale soup. It's flavorful, hearty, healthy and it's made in one pot in under an hour. 

    I love this chicken and wild rice soup because it's light but filling. It's dairy-free and gluten-free, so people with even strict dietary needs can enjoy it! It's a great meal to make if anyone in your household is feeling under the weather too! 

    overhead view of a bowl of chicken and rice soup

    Chicken Rice Soup Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions

    Let's chat about the ingredients in this chicken and rice soup, as well as possible substitutions. 

    overhead view of the ingredients in this chicken rice soup recipe
    • Olive Oil. Any neutral oil works well in this chicken and rice soup. Suggested substitutes are avocado oil, canola oil, and butter. 
    • Onion. Yellow, white, red, sweet, any onion variety works well in this recipe. 
    • Minced Garlic. Garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic, just add it with the broth. 
    • Chicken Broth. Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe. 
    • Better than Bouillon.  This is my secret ingredient in my soup recipes (as well as my chicken pot pie). It gives the soup such a great flavor. You can use a different chicken base, but I have had the best results with this brand. 
    • Raw Chicken Breasts. If you have precooked, leftover chicken you can use that instead. Just make the soup according to the instructions and add the chicken once the rice is cooked. 
    • Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. You can use dried spices, however I don't recommend it. Fresh is best. 
    • Wild Rice. Brown rice or white rice both work well in this chicken rice soup recipe. Brown rice takes about the same amount of time to cook as wild rice, but white rice takes only about 25-30 minutes, so keep that in mind. 
    overhead view of chicken and rice soup in a pot

    How to make Chicken and Rice Soup

    This chicken wild rice soup recipe is easy to make in one pot in less than an hour. As always, we'll walk through the process step-by-step, and don't forget to watch the video!

    Cook Vegetables

    In a large stockpot, combine olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent.

    Add broth 

    Once the vegetables are cooked, add the chicken broth and better than bouillon to the stockpot with the vegetables and whisk to combine.

    two overhead photos showing how to make chicken and rice soup

    Add chicken, rice, herbs & spices

    Next, add chicken breasts, parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves salt, pepper and rice to the stockpot and stir to combine. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. After it reaches a boil reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 45 minutes, covered (25 if using white rice). 

    The goal here is to cook both the rice and the chicken - until it's easily shredded with a fork. If you use white rice the rice may finish cooking before the chicken, so keep that in mind. Otherwise, 45 minutes is the perfect amount of time to cook both wild or brown rice and the chicken. 

    two overhead photos showing how to make chicken and rice soup

    Shred Chicken & Finish cooking

    Once the rice and chicken are cooked, remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Then, remove the chicken from pot and transfer it to a large bowl or cutting board to shred.

    Return the shredded chicken to the stockpot and simmer for at least 15 minutes, then serve warm with extra chopped fresh herbs, crackers, etc.  

    two overhead photos showing how to make chicken rice soup

    Serve

    Serve this chicken and rice soup with your favorite crusty bread, like this homemade french bread, no-knead bread, pretzel bread or the best homemade dinner rolls. 

    Store

    Store any leftover chicken wild rice soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

    Overhead view of a ladle scooping chicken and rice soup out of a pot

    To freeze:

    Let soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. 

    To reheat: 

    Remove frozen soup from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter (faster). You can also let it thaw slightly then transfer the mostly-frozen soup to a pot and thaw it over low heat, stirring often. 

    Recipe FAQs

    Do you cook rice before adding to soup?

    In this recipe the rice cooks with the chicken - so it is added uncooked and then cooked with the rest of the ingredients.

    How do you keep rice from getting mushy in soup?

    Refrain from over-cooking it. Follow the cooking instructions in the recipe.

    How long does chicken rice soup last?

    This soup lasts for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and 2 months in the freezer.

    overhead photo of chicken and wild rice soup in a bowl with fresh herbs

    If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don't forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube - be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can your creations!

    Chicken & Rice Soup

    Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe

    Laura
    This Chicken and Rice Soup is flavorful, hearty, healthy and it's made in one pot in under an hour! Chicken and wild rice soup is a perfect meal for busy, chilly nights, it makes great leftovers & freezes well too! 
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 55 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10 Servings
    Calories 211 kcal

    Equipment

    • large pot
    • whisk
    • measuring spoons
    • measuring cups

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 TBS olive oil
    • 1 cup onion diced
    • 1 cup carrots peeled & diced
    • 1 cup celery finely diced
    • 1 tsp minced garlic
    • 2 quarts chicken broth 8 cups
    • 1 TBS “better than bouillon” chicken base
    • 2 lbs chicken breasts raw
    • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ to 1 tsp sea salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 1 cup wild rice or brown rice or white rice*
    • 1 TBS fresh parsley

    Instructions
     

    • In a large stockpot, combine olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
    • Add chicken broth and better than bouillon to the stockpot and whisk to combine.
    • Add chicken breasts, parsley, thyme sprigs, bay leaves salt, pepper and rice and stir to combine.
    • Cover and bring mixture to a boil.
    • After it reaches a boil reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 45 minutes, covered (25 if using white rice).
    • Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
    • Remove chicken from pot and shred, return it back to the pot.
    • Simmer for 15 minutes, then serve.

    Video

    Notes

    Store

    Store any leftover chicken wild rice soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

    To freeze:

    Let soup cool to room temperature, then transfer it to a freezer-friendly, airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. 

    To reheat: 

    Remove frozen soup from the freezer and let thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter (faster). You can also let it thaw slightly then transfer the mostly-frozen soup to a pot and thaw it over low heat, stirring often. 

    Ingredient Substitutions

    • Olive Oil. Suggested substitutes are avocado oil, canola oil, and butter. 
    • Onion. Yellow, white, red, sweet, any onion variety works well in this recipe. 
    • Minced Garlic. Garlic powder can be used in place of minced garlic, just add it with the broth. 
    • Chicken Broth. Homemade or store-bought chicken broth works well in this recipe. 
    • Better than Bouillon Chicken Base.  You can use a different chicken base, but I have had the best results with this brand. 
    • Raw Chicken Breasts. If you have precooked, leftover chicken you can use that instead. Just make the soup according to the instructions and add the chicken once the rice is cooked. 
    • Fresh thyme, bay leaves, and parsley. You can use dried spices, however I don't recommend it. Fresh is best. 
    • Wild Rice. Brown rice or white rice both work well in this chicken rice soup recipe. Brown rice takes about the same amount of time to cook as wild rice, but white rice takes only about 25-30 minutes, so keep that in mind. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 211kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 23gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 1053mgPotassium: 646mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2254IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    The photos in this post were taken by the talented Jamie from Dishing Out Health!

    If you love this recipe, try these:

    • Easy Tortellini Soup is made in 30 minutes!
    • Skip the can and make this homemade tomato soup - it's the BEST!
    • You will love our homemade chicken noodle soup too!
    • A bowl of this hearty vegetable soup is comforting and nutritious. 
    • My son calls this Sausage Kale Soup "the soup that looks gross but tastes really, really good!" Although I think it looks great! haha!
    • This Chicken Pot Pie Soup is made in the slow cooker and a go-to for me on chilly, busy days. 
    • We adore this butternut squash soup - it's seriously the best!
    • These homemade croutons or cornbread croutons are great additions to any soup!
    • Try any one of our chili recipes: chicken chili, turkey chili and beef chili!

    This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nancy

      October 16, 2022 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      Made this today. Used a rotisserie chicken instead of breast. It was good.

      Reply
    2. Marilyn

      January 22, 2021 at 6:18 pm

      5 stars
      Easy 1 pot soup. Absolutely delicious. It's considered one of my meals in rotation.

      Reply
    3. Abby

      November 27, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner tonight! This recipe is a good one to prep some veggies in advance. I cut the onion, carrots and celery yesterday so I'd be ready to throw everything in tonight. When making this soup tonight I actually forgot to add the garlic (bummer!), and used chicken I mad previously made in the crock-pot (failure to read recipe ahead of time!), and yet still had a good ending product. Can't wait to make it again and follow the directions to see the result! I'm always impressed with how simple the recipes on this site are and will continue to try more.

      Reply

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    About Laura

    I’m Laura, a former chemistry teacher turned homeschooling mom of six beautiful babies! I create simple and delicious recipes that are tested and perfected to make cooking and baking joyful and fun!

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