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Chicken Rice Soup (Stove Top or Slow Cooker)

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 24 votes
Prep Time 20 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Servings 6 servings

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This Chicken Rice Soup is a hearty, healthy soup recipe that’s perfect for fall! Loaded with vegetables, lean chicken and brown rice it can be made stove top or slow cooker.

chicken rice soup overhead in white and grey dutch oven on grey background

Recipe first posted on Spend with Pennies.

Table of Contents
  1. Variations of this Chicken Rice Soup:
  2. How to make ahead Chicken and Rice Soup ahead:
  3. To make Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup:
  4. Chicken Rice Soup Recipe

Soup season continues here on The Recipe Rebel and I’m back with this easy Chicken Rice Soup! It’s hearty, healthy, and creamy so it ticks pretty much all of my boxes 😉

Soup is pretty much my favorite way to get loaded up an all kinds of healthy stuff, and this one is no exception (this Chicken Pot Pie Soup and this Cabbage Soup are more favorites!).

I’ve used onions, garlic, carrots and celery but you could add all kinds of vegetables here. Mushrooms would be great (if you’re into that sort of thing), peppers, spinach, kale, or even frozen peas stirred in at the end. I often do this to cool down the soup for my kids and it works like a charm (plus, extra veggies!).

I know that a lot of Chicken Rice Soup recipes use wild rice, but with the long cook time I just didn’t think I wanted to go that route. You can, if you like, but keep in mind that it requires an even longer cook time that brown rice.

We use brown rice because it packs more fiber and protein, but still cooks in a reasonable amount of time. And we always have a giant bag around!

scoop of chicken rice soup close up in dutch oven

Variations of this Chicken Rice Soup:

  • As mentioned above, feel free to swap out the vegetables or add more in! You do need to keep cook time in mind though and may want to add them at the end if they are quick cooking (like broccoli for example, unless you like it very tender).
  • I use brown rice, but you could also use wild rice (a much longer cook time) or white rice (a lesser cook time). Again, keep in mind for the swaps you make you may need to adjust the liquid and cook time.
  • If you really want this to be quick, you can use instant rice, but you may want to leave it out of the soup until the carrots are cooked because they can take a while to become tender and you don’t want mushy rice!
  • This soup is naturally gluten-free, but double check all of your packages to be sure.
  • This soup can easily be made dairy-free, by omitting the milk or cream.

How to make ahead Chicken and Rice Soup ahead:

This soup is great refrigerated and reheated, so feel free to make a large batch on the weekend for quick, easy meals during the week.

How to freeze soup:

Low fat milk does not freeze well and will separate. If you know you plan to freeze, I recommend using whole milk or even cream as the higher fat content does better when frozen and thawed.

Cool to room temperature, then place in a large freezer bag, seal completely, and lay flat to freeze in a thin layer. This will help the soup to thaw quickly when you need it for dinner!

To thaw, you can submerge the bag in lukewarm water until thawed, then reheat to desired temperature in the microwave or on the stovetop.

chicken rice soup in two light blue bowls overhead on dark grey background

To make Slow Cooker Chicken Rice Soup:

You will follow many of the same steps, but the cook time will be considerably longer:

  • Add the veggies, broth, chicken and rice to the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-6 hours or until the rice is tender — brown rice will cook considerably longer than white rice.
  • Remove chicken and shred. Add back to the slow cooker with the evaporated milk.

Find the web story for this recipe here.

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Chicken Rice Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 24 votes
This Chicken Rice Soup is a hearty, healthy soup recipe that’s perfect for fall! Loaded with vegetables, lean chicken and brown rice it can be made stove top or slow cooker.
scoop of chicken rice soup
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Cuisine American
Course Soup
Servings 6 servings
Calories 332cal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 onion minced
  • 3 large carrots peeled and diced
  • 1 rib celery diced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 chicken breasts raw
  • 1 cup long grain brown rice rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (more or less as you prefer)

Instructions

  • In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, until onion begins to turn golden.
  • Add garlic, parsley and thyme and cook 1 minute.
  • Rinse rice under cold water. Add broth, chicken, rice, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low (a simmer), cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables and rice are tender.
  • Remove chicken from pot and shred. Add back to the pot with evaporated milk. Serve.

Notes

*NOTE: carrots will be very tender by the time the rice is cooked. If you prefer your carrots with more bite to them, add them after the first 10 minutes when stirring the soup.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 332cal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 803mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5250IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Keywords chicken and rice soup, chicken soup, slow cooker soup

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Published on November 20, 2018 / Last updated on February 8, 2021

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  2. Debbie Bass says

    Made this recipe and when I added the evaporated milk the broth turn a white color. The soup was good but was hard to get by the color of the broth. I believe I will leave the milk off the next time I make this. Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

  3. Shaylen says

    With Christmas turkey coming up, could cooked turkey be used in this recipe, or would the turkey make it taste different?

    Reply

      • natasha Lynn hale says

        Just wanted to give a follow up on using this recipe in the instant pot. I sauteed the veggies prior and then added everything into the pot except the milk. put it on pressure cook for 15 minutes. added the milk after and it came out AMAZING!! i figured i would give an update if anyone else comes across the recipe and wants to use the instant pot

        Reply

  5. Angela says

    I just added the evaporated milk and now I’m scared! Haha. It doesn’t look anything like your photo, looks more like pot pie filling.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      It may look creamier than the photo and that’s okay. The broth I used that day may have been more orange than most, which would account for the different color.

      Reply

  7. Oats Hoye says

    LOVED this recipe for an autumn evening with girlfriends. Served it with cheeses and crusty bread. The ladies loved it too — of 12 that I served (I doubled the recipe), 7 asked for the recipe the next day … a very good sign.

    Reply

  8. Melanie says

    Does the evaporated milk affect the recipe significantly or is it just for a creamier soup and could be left out? And you would use cooked chicken, correct?

    Reply

  14. Liz says

    I usually make chicken noodle soup, but when I saw your recipe, I had to try it! The whole family loved it and now it will be part of my meal rotation!!! Thanks for the yummy recipe.

    Reply

  15. Eden says

    I have been using my slow cooker so much right now and we tried this delicious recipe. It was perfect and my entire family loved it. Can’t wait to make it again.

    Reply

  16. Yashica says

    I made this recipe today and it was absolutely delicious. I was concerned at first, because my end result did not look like this picture above. It looked very white and creamy. I cannot see the evaporated milk in the picture here. Nonetheless, it was very creamy and very delicious. I used a bag of mixed vegetables with carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, since I didn’t have plain carrots and it was great. I cut the chicken in cubes before cooking. I also added the rice a little later, since I only had Jasmine rice. I was afraid it would cook too long if I added it at the recommended time, according to the recipe. I used just a little less than the recommended cup of evaporated milk. It was very creamy! I would have never guessed that the creaminess came from something as simple as a cup of evaporated milk! I loved it and will definitely do this again. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  17. Nadia says

    Hearty and delicious! Loved this soup. I added green bell pepper instead of celery and whole milk instead of evaporated milk because that’s what I had and it turned out so good. I also added some fresh chopped parlsey for garnish and a squeeze of lemon. Yum. Will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you!

    Reply

  18. April says

    When I added the evaporated milk to the soup it turned completely white. It doesn’t look like the picture anymore. Was that supposed to happen?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      The color will vary depending on the color of your chicken broth — some are more yellow (often have more tumeric for color), and some are more clear. It won’t affect the flavor!

      Reply

  21. Carina says

    Thank you for this recipe! I modified it by cooking the veggies in a tablespoon of butter for a few minutes, then added 5 chicken legs to the pot and seared them a minute or two per side on 3 sides. I added 5 cups of bullion broth, 2 bay leaves, brought to a boil and simmered for about 40 minutes, but it was likely ready to eat at the 35 minute mark. I made white rice separately to avoid a thick consistency that I knew my kids wouldn’t like, and added it to the bowls at serving time. My kids loved it and ate seconds. One added a splash of lemon juice and salsa for heat, he loves spice, and it was great! Thanks so much, I’m definitely bookmarking your recipe!

    Reply

  22. Amy says

    This soup is so good! My rice cooked too long and made the soup thick, but it ended up being my favorite part about it! It was hearty and filling. Garnished with some minced jalapeños and served with cornbread. Yum!

    Reply

  23. Silvia says

    This recipe sounds amazing. I was wondering how long it keeps for as I would be making it for myself to have for lunch during the week and maybe dinner. Will the rice suck all the liquid like noodles do and if so should I keep some extra broth on hand?

    Reply

  24. Brandon Sandefer says

    Ya mine wasnt yellow either its was more milky looking. I think I’ve seen this picture on a different recipe too

    Reply

  26. Grandma Bobbie Brattain says

    Other recipe cites show picture after picture but can never find a recipe. So, delete in frustration.
    Your cite is pretty picture followed by clear recipe and instructions. What a blessing! Easy to use.
    Other recipes also call for a lot of exotic ingredients that will never again be used. Waste of precious
    Social Security $ for me. Your ingredients are down-to-earth, every day ingredients.
    THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
    Please keep them coming.

    Reply

  27. Marissa Deveux says

    If I were to swap out the evaporated milk with a non dairy liquid, would it be milk or creamer? I’m excited to try this tonight!

    Reply

  28. Shannon says

    I made this last night and it was delicious! Only thing I did differently was to sprinkle a tad a cayenne pepper in for a little kick and I only used 1/2 c evaporated milk. Thank you!

    Reply

  30. Trish says

    So yummy!! My 3 year old LOVED it! I used whole milk and added a bit more parsley and thyme. Will be freezing the leftovers for camp meal.

    Reply

  40. KAtie says

    Hello! I made this recipe, but I basically tripled it. I used canola oil and fried the chicken on both sides (4 mins each side on medium high heat. I used boneless chicken theighs and breasts. Then I removed the chicken on a plate. Then I added 4 stalks celery and 8 smaller carrots chopped small in the same oil on medium high heat for 10 mins add 1 ex large onion for another few minutes then Add 2 small garlic cloves minced. Cook another two minutes. Add 5 cans of chicken stock and 1 tsp thyme. Add one cup of white rice and add chicken not cut; bring to boil stirring often reduce heat to Simmer for 25 minutes. Remove chicken and left cool a bit. Chop in small pieces. Do NOT shred. Add chopped chicken and 1 can of evaporated milk.! Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice if you have on hand. Sooooooo sooooo yummy! I didn’t use low sodium chick broth, added 1 tsp of salt. No pepper and no parsley.

    Reply

  41. Kayla C. says

    This was very good! Mine didn’t turn out to be that pretty yellow broth color though. Any idea why? I cooked it in a slow cooker and I’m wondering if that was it?

    Reply

  42. JJ kelley says

    OMG!! This is outstanding. Seasonings ratios are perfect!!! I added a pinch of Rosemary for a twang, Thanks for sharing your gift!!!

    Reply

  44. Toni Hager says

    Does the whole milk or cream take the place of the evaporated milk? And you don’t indicate how much corn starch to use in the crock pot variation. Can you advise?

    Reply

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