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This chicken and rice soup recipe is a cozy, easy soup everyone will love! It’s our family favorite, with tender shredded chicken and fluffy rice that swim in a savory broth infused with smoky paprika.
Here’s a hot take: we’d take chicken and rice soup any day over chicken noodle! (Do you agree?) Alex and I love this classic soup with rice instead of noodles because it infuses it with whole grains—and it tastes even better, we think.
When we create this soup our kids went crazy over it, solidifying it into our “weeknight dinner playlist.” Tender chunks of chicken and perfectly cooked rice float in a rich, savory broth that’s infused with aromatic vegetables and a hint of smoky paprika. We recently served it for a dinner party and everyone kept saying, “What’s in this?!” Here’s our spin on this everyday classic recipe—which we think is a total winner.
What readers love about this recipe
“This chicken and rice soup is a HUG in a bowl. The simplest flavors but so comforting and heartwarming. It was perfect for today and made a classic feel good meal!” -Tanvee
Ingredients for chicken and rice soup
Canned versions of chicken and rice soup were a staple for both Alex and me growing up, and this homemade recipe brings all the nostalgia with even better flavor. To be honest, this one is modeled after one we had at my parents’ house after we were all sick for a family gathering (true story!), and it’s positively restorative. It’s simple enough for a weeknight, but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- White onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: These aromatic veggies form the classic flavor base. We like adding fresh garlic for even more of a punch; make sure to use fresh garlic (not jarred or dried) for best flavor.
- Chicken breasts: We like buying organic chicken where possible for best flavor and most sustainable option.
- Long grain white rice: White rice has the best texture for this soup; using brown rice would take longer to cook so we don’t recommend substituting it here.
- Chicken stock and water: We like using a combination of chicken stock with a little water. The rice does soak up quite a bit of the liquid.
- Dried oregano, garlic powder, and smoked paprika: These are our keys to a delicious, savory flavor.
Tips for the best chicken soup
This chicken rice soup has a few tricks that make it stand out from standard recipes. Here are a few tips that we incorporated to maximize the flavor:
- Cook the chicken in the broth: Instead of using pre-cooked chicken, this method cooks the chicken right in the broth, infusing it with more flavor and keeping it tender.
- Smoked paprika: This Spanish spice adds a subtle smoky depth that transforms the entire soup. Don’t skip it! (Use up leftovers with our smoked paprika recipes.)
Storing leftovers
A few important notes about storage of this chicken and rice soup:
- This soup lasts for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but you’ll notice the rice absorbs the liquid from the soup over time. Add a splash of chicken stock when reheating leftovers to bring it back to a soup-like texture.
- For meal prep, make the soup without the rice, then add cooked rice to each portion before serving. This prevents the rice from becoming overly soft.
- The soup also freezes up to 2 months. Again, you may need to add a little extra broth when you reheat it.
Sides to serve with chicken rice soup
This chicken and rice soup works as both a cozy dinner or an easy lunch recipe. Here are a few ideas of what to pair with it:
- Crusty bread like homemade no knead bread or focaccia bread
- Cornbread like skillet cornbread or cornbread muffins
- Green salads like easy arugula salad or wintery radicchio salad
- Gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches for the ultimate comfort food pairing
- Simple crackers and cheese for a light side
Dietary notes
This chicken and rice soup recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, and it also works as a high protein and Mediterranean diet recipe.
Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe (Family Favorite!)
This chicken and rice soup recipe is a cozy, easy soup everyone will love! It’s our family favorite, with tender shredded chicken and fluffy rice that swim in a savory broth infused with smoky paprika.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Soup
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ to 2 pounds)
- ¾ cup long grain white rice
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for serving
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 green onion, minced, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the chicken stock, water, whole chicken breasts, rice, oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover loosely and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken registers at least 165°F when tested with a food thermometer.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes, then shred the chicken using two forks or your fingers to pull it into bite-sized pieces (or use a stand mixer with paddle attachment to shred the chicken.
- To finish the soup, stir in the shredded chicken and smoked paprika. Taste and add the up to an additional ½ teaspoon kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve warm, garnished with green onions. Store leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Note that the rice will continue to absorb liquid as it sits; when reheating, you may need to add additional water or stock and adjust seasonings.
Notes
For meal prep, you can make the soup without the rice, then add cooked rice just before serving. This prevents the rice from becoming overly soft in leftovers.
Soup recipes you may enjoy
A few more of our favorite healthy soup recipes: this sweet potato lentil soup is creamy and cozy, red lentil soup and kale soup are fast and easy, wild rice soup is a fan favorite, and lemon chicken orzo soup is a similar soup with pasta.
reporting in:
brown rice and cooked for 50 minutes worked great! the soup was a big hit!
Wow!! I’ve made lots of soup before but this is the BEST one I’ve ever made/had! You are absolutely correct, the smoked paprika is a total game changer. Thank you!!
SO so glad to hear this! Thank you so much for making it!
Do you think I could use brown rice and cook it longer? I didn’t know if you had tried this as an option
This chicken and rice soup is a HUG in a bowl. The simplest flavors but so comforting and heartwarming. It was prefect for today, we’re having quite a ferocious cold snap here and this soup was perrrrrfect. It made a classic feel good meal!