This creamy chicken and rice soup consists of a mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onion simmered in chicken broth and thyme. So satisfying and the perfect comfort food for a chilly day!
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It's cozy season which means I'm here for all the soups and stews!
When I was little, my grandma often made cream of chicken soup, and this creamy chicken and rice soup reminds me of that. I've made it several times now, perfecting it little by little. It's a simple, humble recipe that somehow manages to feel soulful.
Ingredients
- Wild rice blend: We used a wild rice blend for texture variety, but you can use regular white rice or pure wild rice, just keep in mind wild rice takes longer to cook.
Baby carrots, onion, and celery: A classic mirepoix base. Be sure to dice small for even cooking. - Butter: Adds richness; substitute with olive oil.
- Garlic and granulated garlic: Use both for layered flavor.
- Chicken broth: Low-sodium is preferred to better control salt levels.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs: Cooked and shredded; rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut.
- Kosher salt (Diamond Crystal) and black pepper: Adjust to taste; note that different salt brands vary in saltiness.
- Thyme: Fresh or dried; adds a warm, herby flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Use to thicken.
- Milk: Adds creaminess; whole milk preferred, but any milk works.
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
- Cook the rice, then set it aside.
- In a large pot, melt butter and cook the carrots, onion, and celery until tender. Add garlic, then season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in broth, add chicken and thyme, then bring to a boil. Cover and cook until the chicken is done.
- Remove the chicken, let it cool, then cut it into small pieces.
- Add the cooked rice and chopped chicken back to the pot.
- In a separate pan, melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux. Slowly stir in milk and seasonings until it thickens.
- Pour the roux into the soup and stir well. Let it simmer a little longer until thick and creamy. If you want, add heavy cream at the end.
- Serve warm and top with parsley.
Recipe Tips
- This recipe uses a wild rice blend, which is a mixture of wild rice plus other rice varieties. For example, long grain, brown rice, and red rice. I prefer wild rice blend over white rice and plain wild rice, but use what you want.
- Rotisserie chicken makes is a great substitute if you don't want to fool with raw chicken. Shred the meat of the chicken (breast, thighs, leg) and simmer in the broth for at least 10 minutes to soak up more flavor. You can even pick a rotisserie flavor like lemon pepper. We got this idea from Platter Talk's Lipton Noodle Soup cooking hack with rotisserie chicken!
How to Freeze Cream-Based Soup
You're probably wondering if this recipe is really freezer-friendly. The reality is, cream-based soups never freeze and reheat well. On top of that, grains lose all of their toothy texture through the freezing and unthawing process. Thankfully, we've worked it out so you can convert this to a make-ahead freezer meal:
- Prepare the soup, following steps 1-10.
- Once you add the cooked diced chicken to the soup, remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool down completely.
- Once the soup has completely cooled, pour it into Tupperware containers (preferably glass), leaving 1" of space at the top so the soup has room to expand.
- Label and date the container and pop it in the freezer (no more than two to three months).
When you're ready to unthaw:
- Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight (preferred).
- You can also defrost it in the microwave if it's in a glass container, or in a large bowl of warm water.
When you're ready to reheat:
- Transfer the soup to a pot over medium-low heat. Cover with a lid and reheat it for 10 to 15 minutes (for a small batch). Longer if you're reheating a large batch.
- Cook the rice according to the recipe instructions.
- Follow steps 11-15 (prepare the roux and milk mixture).
- Add the cooked rice to the pot.
- Stir in the roux and milk mixture.
- Enjoy!
More Soup Recipes
Check out our delicious collection of soup recipes. From butternut squash and carrot soup to decadent cream of crab. These cozy recipes are perfect for soup season.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
This Creamy Chicken and Rice soup consists of a mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onion simmered in chicken broth and thyme. So satisfying and the perfect comfort food for a chilly day!
Ingredients
- ½ cups water
- 1 cup wild rice blend uncooked
- 12 ounce baby carrots about 2 cups
- 1 small yellow onion diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 ribs celery diced (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup unsalted butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups chicken broth plus more to thin out to desired consistency, if preferred
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Roux
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Bring water to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand (covered) for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside until ready to use.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add carrots, onions, and celery and sauté until onions are slightly tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute more.
- Season the mixture with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Add chicken broth, chicken breasts, and dried thyme to the pot.
- Increase the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Carefully remove the chicken and set it aside on the cutting board to cool for 5 minutes.
- Once the chicken has cooled, dice it into bite-size pieces.
- Reduce heat to low and add cooked rice and diced chicken to the pot.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- Add flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking vigorously, to make a roux.
- Slowly pour milk into the flour and butter roux and continue stirring until the mixture thickens.
- Season the mixture with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic.
- Add the mixture to the soup and stir to fully incorporate.
- Cover the pot and continue cooking on low heat for 5 minutes, or until the soup has thickened. If using, stir in heavy cream.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Nutrition
Calories: 433kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 25gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 2449mgPotassium: 735mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 8491IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 133mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Sasen says
Just delightfully creamy, even though I actually skipped the heavy cream entirely. And the flavors totally shined through the buttery roux. Thank you for sharing.
Jess says
Yum! I'm going to make this tonight, but use dairy free milk / coconut cream instead.