This chicken rice soup has a clear, savory broth, tender shredded chicken, and enough vegetables to give each spoonful a little sweetness. The rice is cooked in its own saucepan, then added to the bowls just before serving. That small extra step keeps the broth from disappearing into a pot full of rice.
There’s no cream or lemon in this version. Butter, garlic, dried herbs, and a little soy sauce give it its flavor, while the chicken cooks gently in the broth. You’ll need a soup pot and a small saucepan, but both can be working at the same time.
The detail that keeps the soup brothy
Rice keeps absorbing liquid after it becomes tender. Cooking it separately makes it easier to control the texture of the soup and the amount of rice in each bowl. Someone who prefers a lighter bowl can have less rice; someone who wants a heartier dinner can add another spoonful.
Allow about an hour for the whole meal. That’s an estimate, since the size of the bone-in chicken breast affects how long it takes to cook. Start the rice while the chicken simmers so its covered resting time doesn’t hold up dinner.
A few notes on the ingredients
The exact measurements are in the printable recipe below. These are the details that matter when choosing and preparing the ingredients.
- Bone-in chicken breast: The chicken cooks in the soup, then gets shredded and returned to the pot. Keep the pieces small enough to fit comfortably on a soup spoon.
- Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: Dice the vegetables into small, fairly even pieces. They should soften gently in the butter before the broth goes in.
- Chicken broth: Measure the two portions separately. The soup uses 5 cups, and the rice needs another 1½ cups in its saucepan.
- Long-grain white rice: Use uncooked regular white rice for the method below. Instant rice and brown rice need different cooking times and liquid amounts.
- Dried seasonings: Basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, and black pepper season the broth. The small amount of mustard powder belongs in the soup, even though it won’t taste like a mustard sauce.
- Soy sauce and hot sauce: These add seasoning in small amounts. Use the listed quantities first, then taste the finished broth before making adjustments.
- Butter and fresh parsley: Butter starts the vegetable base. Fresh parsley is an optional finishing touch, so you can serve the soup without a leafy garnish.
How to cook the soup and rice
Soften the vegetables first
Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should look glossy and begin to soften; you don’t need to brown them.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Keep it moving through the vegetables so it doesn’t sit against the hot bottom of the pot and scorch.
Let the chicken cook gently
Stir in the dried seasonings, soy sauce, hot sauce, the soup’s 5 cups of broth, and the chicken breast. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then partially cover the pot. A steady simmer is enough; a hard boil can make the chicken tougher.
Begin checking the chicken after 15–20 minutes, but allow longer for a large bone-in breast. Check the thickest part with a thermometer, avoiding the bone, and keep cooking until it reaches 165°F. The thermometer reading is the deciding check, rather than the clock.
Give the rice its own saucepan
While the chicken simmers, bring the separate 1½ cups of broth to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan covered for 10 minutes. Then gently fluff the rice. Keeping the lid on during that rest gives the grains time to finish settling without extra stirring.
Shred the chicken
Lift the cooked chicken out of the broth. When it’s manageable to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred it into small pieces. Discard the bones, then return the chicken to the soup.
Build each bowl just before serving
The finished soup should still have visible broth around the shredded chicken and vegetables. Taste it now, after the chicken has cooked, because the broth, soy sauce, and hot sauce all contribute seasoning.
Spoon some rice into each bowl, then ladle the chicken soup over it. Start with a modest amount of rice so the bowl stays pleasantly brothy. You can always add more.
Serve as soon as the bowls are filled. This recipe makes about 6 servings, depending on bowl size and how much rice you add. A small piece of bread is plenty alongside it if you want something to dip into the broth.
Questions before you start
Can I cook the rice directly in the soup?
That changes this recipe’s method and liquid balance. For the result shown here, use the separate saucepan and combine the rice and soup in the serving bowls.
Can I use cooked chicken?
Yes. Soften the vegetables, add the broth and seasonings, and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add shredded cooked chicken near the end and let it warm through. Cook the rice separately as written. The timing will differ from the bone-in chicken version.
Will brown rice work?
It can be served with the soup, but don’t use the white-rice timing and broth ratio. Cook brown rice separately using its package directions, then spoon it into the bowls.
Is the soup spicy?
The recipe uses a small amount of hot sauce. Its heat depends on the sauce you choose, so use a mild one if you’re sensitive to spice. Taste before adding any extra.
Chicken Rice Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Small saucepan with lid
- Food thermometer
- Ladle
Ingredients
Dried seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken soup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 ¼ pounds bone-in chicken breast
- Fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Rice cooked separately
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¾ cup uncooked white long-grain rice
Instructions
Start the soup
- Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 4 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mustard powder, black pepper, soy sauce, hot sauce, chicken broth, and chicken breast.
- Bring to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and begin checking the chicken after 15 to 20 minutes. A large bone-in breast may need longer. Continue cooking until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C), measured away from the bone.
Cook the rice while the chicken simmers
- While the chicken simmers, bring 1 ½ cups chicken broth to a boil in a separate saucepan.
- Stir in rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender and the broth is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and let rice sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
Finish and serve
- Remove the chicken, shred the meat, discard the bones, and return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Spoon rice into bowls and ladle soup over the top.
- Serve warm, with fresh parsley for garnish if desired.
Notes
- The soup needs 5 cups chicken broth; the rice needs a separate 1½ cups.
- Use regular uncooked long-grain white rice. Instant rice and brown rice need their own cooking directions.
- The timing is an estimate. Bone-in chicken breast size affects the simmering time; use the thermometer reading to judge doneness.
- Start the rice while the chicken simmers so the two pots cook alongside each other.
- Let the rice rest, covered and off the heat, for 10 minutes before serving.
- Yield is approximately 6 servings and depends on bowl size.
- Fresh parsley is an optional garnish.
More cozy meals to try
- Copycat Pasta Fagioli Soup is another brothy option, with pasta and beans.
- Chicken Noodle Casserole takes the chicken-and-noodle combination into a baked dinner.
