Creamy Chicken Rice Soup (Printable)
Tender chicken and rice simmered in a silky, buttery broth with sautéed vegetables, an easy, satisfying weeknight bowl.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Grains
06 - 1/2 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked
→ Liquids
07 - 4 cups chicken broth
08 - 2 cups whole milk
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Spices & Seasonings
10 - 1 bay leaf
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
12 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Fats
13 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Thickeners
14 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
# Directions:
01 - Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
02 - Evenly sprinkle flour over the sautéed vegetables, stirring continuously for 1 to 2 minutes to form a smooth roux without browning.
03 - Slowly whisk in chicken broth to blend with the roux and prevent lumps. Add the bay leaf and dried thyme, stirring well.
04 - Stir in uncooked rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer partially covered for 15 to 18 minutes, until the rice is almost tender.
05 - Add cooked chicken, whole milk, and heavy cream. Simmer gently for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until the soup has thickened and rice is cooked through.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot. Optionally garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The velvety broth feels like a warm hug and tastes even better the next day.
- Leftover chicken finally has a destiny that everyone actually looks forward to.
02 -
- Turning up the heat makes the milk split and ruins the creamy texture; keep things gentle.
- Adding the rice before the liquid or forgetting to rinse it leads to a gummy, starchy soup — lesson learned.
03 -
- Letting the finished soup sit for five minutes before serving gives the flavors a chance to bloom.
- A chunk of Parmesan rind simmered with the broth, then fished out at the end, adds incredible savoriness.