Of all the chicken soups I make, this chicken and rice soup is my favorite. There’s nothing more comforting after a long, hard day than a bowl of this pipping hot soup. It warms you to your soul! Its alluring aroma will transport you straight to grandma’s kitchen! Take a walk down memory lane and make this soup!
Using a whole chicken to make the base of this soup creates a rich broth with layers of flavor and healthy goodness. The chicken chunks are moist, the veggies are super tender, and the rice completes this soul-satisfying soup! For me, it’s the flavor benchmark by which I measure all other chicken soup.
If your family loves a good chicken soup as much as mine, I hope you try these favorites next!
Let’s make some soup!
Can You Cook the Rice in the Soup?
I prefer to cook the rice directly in the soup. I like that the rice absorbs all the flavors of the incredible homemade broth and that some of the starch from the rice adds just a little thickness to the soup.
How Do You Keep the Rice from Getting Mushy?
I use high-quality long-grain white rice. Quick cooking or converted rice doesn’t hold up as well. That said, even high-quality rice will continue to absorb the broth when stored, but frankly, I think that’s part of the charm and comfort of this soup.
Ingredients For Chicken And Rice Soup Recipe
- Whole Chicken – you’ll want to use an entire chicken with the skin and bones. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but those yummy components impart deep delicious layers of flavor your taste buds will literally bask in.
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Bay Leaves
- Better Than Bouillon – It’s like a magical mountain of flavor in a jar. Unlike salty bouillon cubes, this measurable paste is made from concentrated meats, veggies, and spices that create intense deliciousness.
- Salt
- Pepper
- White Rice
- Parsley
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? Well, if you hide it (just kidding……kinda’) it’ll stay fresh and yummy for up to 4 days according to the USDA. This chicken and rice soup is one of those amazing recipes that continues to develop intense flavor even as it sits in the fridge.
- For best results, store it in an airtight container and reserve the FDA-recommended 2-hour serving rule.
- Can You Freeze This? Absolutely! Chicken and rice soup freeze really well and it thaws easily. BUT if I know I’m going to be freezing it, I don’t add the rice until I’m ready to serve. Technically I think it’s fine to freeze the entire recipe but sometimes the texture of the rice changes in the frozen abyss.
- Here’s a neat hack to save space. Set a large freezer bag into a medium-sized loaf pan before adding cooled chicken soup. Let it harden in the freezer and then remove the loaf pan. You’ll be left with a chicken and rice ‘soup block’ that makes it easy to store until you’re ready to eat it.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Prepping is essential to a smooth week, especially when you’re really busy. If you plan to serve this soup this week, you can chop the veggies ahead so they’re ready to go. Store them in a sealed baggie or an airtight container to keep them fresh until you’re ready for them.
- To lighten the load, you can always make it a day or two ahead since it keeps well in the fridge. I usually store this recipe all in one dish so everyone can be served according to their personal preferences. Some people fancy more of the scrumptious broth while others zero in on those tender tasty morsels.
- Food Safety: Here’s an article for USDA Food Safety.
What To Serve With Homemade Chicken And Rice Soup
This is a great meal all on it’s own, but if you want to add a side a fresh green salad is always nice. I like to serve it with my Bisquick biscuits, crescent rolls, or lion house rolls.
More Chicken Soup Recipes
- Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Lemon Chicken Soup
- Italian Chicken Soup
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (4-5 pounds) whole chicken
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 6 celery stalks chopped into large pieces
- 6 carrots peeled and halved crosswise
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon - chicken flavor
- 2-3 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Place the chicken (1 whole) in a large soup pot and add 14 cups of water. Add the next 9 ingredients. Bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover and simmer until the chicken is very tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove the chicken and carrots from the pot. Use a large slotted spoon and remove the rest of the solids. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones, discarding the bones and skin. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and slice the carrots. Set aside.
- Bring the soup back to a simmer and add the rice (1 1/2 cup) and cook until it's tender about 15-20 minutes. Add the cut chicken and carrots back to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning and stir in parsley. Serve 🙂
I love this recipe and so does my family. We add fresh squeezed lemon upon serving and it’s unbelievable. Thank you!
That’s awesome, Elizabeth! Thank you so much for sharing your positive review 🙂
Great! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe!
So good to know that you and your family enjoyed this soup, Elliot! Thank you for the review too 🙂
Wow this recipe is quite similar to the way I cook chicken for the weekend.
I just add more chicken peas and corns
Btw, love your ingredients format, easy to print out and use as a shopping list.
Thank you so much, Marina! 😀
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
Thank you, Kathleen!
If you cook the rice in the broth it will absorb all the stock liquid. So do you add more stock to get a soup consistency? Or cook rice separately and add to individual servings as needed? I’ve always made it this way, unless it’s more of a stew than a souo.
Hi Deborah. When you add the rice, it does not absorb all the liquid. There should be plenty and it should be a nice soup consistency. I add extra liquid to leftovers because as it sits, the rice does continue to absorb the broth, and more liquid needs to be added.
This recipe was the PERFECT soup for any day! The aroma is intoxicating! My favorite is always been Chicken Soup with Rice. Everyone should make this just once! So easy! I only had boneless thighs, I used 6 quarts of water (oops) and I forgot to cut up the parsley. Came out perfect! Next time I will experiment with riced cauliflower! Thanks Kathleen!!
You’re very welcome, Barbra 😀
Winter is coming and I know that this chicken and rice soup soon becomes the staple in one of my weekly dinners xD
– Natalie
Hi Natalie. It’s a staple in mine too! <3