Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

5 from 10 votes

This creamy chicken and rice soup is the ultimate comfort food - simple and flavorful and rich, packed with buttery thyme flavor. Using rotisserie chicken is a perfect shortcut, and enriched rice ensures your leftovers will hold up perfectly without the rice getting too mushy.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Elizabeth Lindemann

Equipment

Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion diced
2 ribs celery diced
2 medium carrots diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (see notes for thickening alternatives)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (store-bought or homemade)
¾ cup enriched / converted rice (such as Ben's Original, see notes for using other kinds of rice)
½ teaspoon kosher salt (more or less depending on preferences)
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup half and half (or whole milk or heavy cream)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (such as rotisserie)
extra fresh thyme leaves and fresh cracked black pepper for serving (optional)

Instructions

In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the diced 1 medium onion, diced 2 ribs celery, diced 2 medium carrots, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme. Sauté until softened, 5-10 minutes.
Add the ⅓ cup all-purpose flour and stir to coat the veggies, cooking while stirring for about 1 minute. Pour in the 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the ¾ cup enriched / converted rice, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Turn down to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is fully cooked (about 20 minutes, see notes).
Once the rice has fully cooked, pour in the 1 cup half and half and stir in the 2 cups cooked shredded chicken. Cook for a few more minutes until everything has warmed up. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve the soup topped with extra fresh thyme leaves and fresh cracked black pepper, if desired.

Notes

Enriched rice is my favorite to use in soups because it tends to hold its shape well in leftovers without getting mushy or disintegrating into the soup.
If using another kind of rice, be aware that leftovers may not hold up as well, and also that cooking time and liquid requirements may vary. For example, white basmati rice cooks very quickly and absorbs less liquid (so you may want to use 1 cup instead of ¾ cup). Wild or brown rice may take longer to cook and absorb more liquid.
Other spices and herbs may be used - I used fresh thyme because it's what I had and I love this recipe simple in flavor, but Italian seasoning, oregano, some crushed red pepper for spice, or other favorite spice blends can be used instead or in addition to. Make it your own!
For a gluten-free option / alternative to flour thickener, skip adding the flour at all in the recipe. Once the soup is completely done, make a cornstarch slurry using 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into soup and continue heating until thickened. You can add more if you want to make it thicker.

Nutrition