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    Home / Soups / Chicken and Rice Soup

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    January 29, 2019 by Ingrid Beer 30 Comments

    This mouthwatering chicken and rice soup is filled with lots of warm spices, veggies, cilantro, and even a bit of tang from fresh lime juice. It's the perfect companion on a cold day, or any time you're craving a feel-good meal!

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    Chicken and Rice Soup, a Whole Lot of Flavor in One Bowl

    I find a lot of comfort in a hot, brothy homemade soup that's a bit on the tangy side, has a nice little “kick” to it, and is filled to the brim with vegetables, spices, and fresh herbs. Throw in some tender chicken and some rice, and I've got a full, happy belly.

    So chicken and rice soup is one of the most prepared, favorite soups in my personal repertoire, one that I make every few weeks when I circle back to craving some south-of-the-border flair—it's so good!

    For me, it has so many of my favorite flavors in one bowl, those wonderfully zesty and rich flavors you find in spices such as cumin, cayenne, coriander, and chili powder. And because I adore the fresh, zippy flavor of fresh lime juice, I like to give my own bowl an extra squeeze from a juicy wedge for an additional burst of tangy freshness! 😉

    Filled with shredded chicken, rice, veggies, and then finished with a hearty garnish of tortilla strips and perhaps some diced avocado (and definitely lots of fresh cilantro!), this easy chicken and rice soup recipe offers up some love in a bowl, in a wonderfully flavorful way.

    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com

    Keeping Chicken and Rice Soup Brothy

    If you've been a reader of The Cozy Apron for a while, or have tried a number of my soup recipes, you may have noticed that I like to keep any starches that are a part of the recipe separate from my pot of soup as a whole.

    In other words, I don't typically add rice, barley, quinoa, etc. to my entire pot of soup. The reason? Those wonderful starches will suck that delicious broth right up!

    So, I like to keep things separate, and add my starches (rice in the case of this particular soup) to individual servings before ladling hot soup over top.

    I simply cook my rice separately, keep it in a covered container next to my pot of soup in the fridge, and add as much as I'd like per bowl when I heat some up. It's super easy, and let me tell you, it keeps those scrumptious soup left-overs nice and brothy!

    How to Make Chicken and Rice Soup

    I cannot underscore enough how easy and convenient this soup is to prepare, and this makes it one of my faves.

    For starters, it only takes about 20 minutes to simmer up, which means din-din is on the table lickity-split. 😉

    The other convenience is that you can do what I like to do, and use a good quality rotisserie chicken. Simply shred or cube the meat, and add it directly into the soup at the very end as to not overcook it—so easy!

    Here's my chicken and rice soup recipe at a glance:

    1. I sweat my veggies in a medium-large soup pot.
    2. Next, I add in my spices, followed by my garlic.
    3. Then, I add in my warm chicken broth (or stock), and allow things to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
    4. At the very end, I stir in some green peas, corn kernels, the cooked, shredded chicken, some lime juice and cilantro.
    5. To serve, I add warm rice to my bowl, ladle some soup over, and garnish with tortilla strips, extra lime, and extra cilantro!

    (The full recipe is below...)

    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com

    Tips & Tidbits for Chicken and Rice Soup:

    • Rotisserie chicken for ease: While you absolutely can cook up your own chicken to use in the soup, I like to take a short cut and use an organic rotisserie chicken which I shred or cube, and add that in at the very end of the cooking process. It's delicious, and super convenient!
    • Very veggie-ful: For this recipe, I like to keep things pretty basic by using onion, carrots and celery along with the peas and corn kernels; but you can substitute (or even add in) some diced tomatoes, half of a sweet potato diced small, or even red bell pepper—whatever you'd like!
    • Make it spicy according to your taste: For the sake of the recipe, I've kept things fairly mild for all to enjoy; but when I'm preparing this soup for myself, I like to add more cayenne or red pepper flakes for extra heat. Hot sauce is great too, or even sliced jalapeños!
    • Cook and keep your rice separate: I like to use either jasmine or basmati rice for this recipe, as it has more flavor. I also cook it up separately (and keep it in a separate container), and then add it to individual bowls of this soup. This keeps the soup nice and brothy, rather than too thick due to starches sucking the liquid up.
    • Tasty toppings: Extra cilantro, lime, tortilla strips or chips, diced avocado, and sliced jalapeño are all delicious add-ins or toppings!

    Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:

    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com

    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com

    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com

    Recipe

    Chicken and Rice Soup

    by Ingrid Beer

    Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint Recipe
    Chicken and Rice Soup | thecozyapron.com
    This hot, brothy chicken and rice soup is filled with warm spices, veggies, fresh lime juice and cilantro for lots of south-of-the-border flavor!

    Category: Soup
    Cuisine: American

    Yield: Serves 6

    Nutrition Info: 281 calories (with ½ cup rice)

    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook time: 20 minutes
    Total time: 35 minutes

    Ingredients:

    • Olive or avocado oil
    • 1 onion, diced small
    • 4 carrots, peeled and diced small
    • 3 celery ribs, diced small
    • Salt
    • Black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon coriander
    • ½ teaspoon chili powder
    • Pinch cayenne pepper
    • 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
    • 5 cups warm chicken broth (or stock)
    • 3 to 3 ½ cups cooked, shredded chicken (rotisserie is great for this)
    • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
    • ½ corn kernels
    • 1 teaspoon lime zest
    • 1 tablespoon lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus extra for serving
    • 3 cups cooked rice (I like to use jasmine or basmati for the additional flavor)
    • Jalapeno slices, tortilla strips, and lime wedges, for garnish

    Preparation:

    -Place a medium-large soup pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 4 tablespoons of oil; once the oil gets hot, add in the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute for a 1-2 minutes.

    -Add in a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, plus the cumin, coriander, chili powder, and pinch of cayenne pepper, and saute for a few more minutes until the veggies begin to become tender.

    -Stir in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the chicken stock/broth.

    -Bring the soup to a rolling simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender.

    -Turn off the heat and finish the soup by stirring in the shredded chicken, peas, corn kernels, lime zest, lime juice, and chopped cilantro; check to see if any additional salt or pepper is needed.

    -To serve, add some of the rice (about ½ cup or so) to the bottom of your bowl, and ladle over the hot soup; garnish with additional lime, some sliced jalapenos, or some crispy tortilla strips.

    Hungry for more hot and cozy soup recipes? Check out this Potato Leek Soup, this Albondigas Soup, this Vegetable Soup, or this Simple Lemony Chicken and Spring Veggie Soup!

    Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2015, and has been updated with even more love!

    « Spinach Dip
    Cashew Chicken »

    About Ingrid Beer

    Ingrid obtained her Culinary Arts degree in 2005 after graduating with honors from the California School of Culinary Arts (Le Cordon Bleu program) in Pasadena, CA.

    She has had the pleasure and privilege of being the Executive Chef for two substance abuse facilities in Malibu, Ca., as well as a personal chef for private clients.

    More about Ingrid →

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jen and Emily @ Layers of Happiness

      March 16, 2015 at 3:05 pm

      This soup looks AMAZING!!! All those flavors and colors... and textures!! So much going on.. I'm obsessed!!

      Reply
    2. J

      March 27, 2015 at 3:01 pm

      So true, so true. It is the simple things in life like a good bowl of soup on a cold winter's day with friends and family.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        March 29, 2015 at 8:50 am

        Thank you for your comment, J.

        Reply
        • Rocio

          December 08, 2017 at 11:46 am

          Can I make this in a crock pot and with chicken breast instead?

          Reply
          • The Cozy Apron

            December 08, 2017 at 5:23 pm

            Hi Rocio, I have not tried that method personally, but that should be fine.

            Reply
    3. Liz

      March 27, 2015 at 4:06 pm

      A lovely soup. Thanks so much and have a great weekend.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        March 29, 2015 at 8:51 am

        Thank you, Liz!

        Reply
    4. Kim Porter

      March 31, 2015 at 9:55 pm

      I will be making this soup (looks delicious!), but I just wanted to take a moment to thank you so much, not only for the nourishing food inspiration, but also for the soulful inspiration you share in each post. I sincerely look forward to receiving your emails.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        April 01, 2015 at 3:55 pm

        Hi Kim, I'm so touched by your comments; thank you for your kind words! I'm thrilled that you are enjoying both the recipes and the posts, and we truly appreciate your readership!

        Reply
    5. Deedee

      October 29, 2015 at 1:50 am

      I'm trying this today, it looks yummy! Thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        October 29, 2015 at 3:06 pm

        Deedee, my pleasure! I hope you are comforted by this soup!

        Reply
    6. Deedee

      October 30, 2015 at 4:07 am

      Thank you! I tried this recipe for dinner last night and, OMGOSH!, delicious! My new favorite soup!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        October 31, 2015 at 8:23 am

        Thanks for sharing your results, Deedee! Glad you enjoyed. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Linda Barnett

      November 01, 2015 at 3:32 pm

      We enjoyed your soup recipe very much. Two thing I changed up. The rice happened to be already cooked so I put in the beginning. We love cilantro so I chopped it tossed in in the blender with some water and blended until smooth an added it to the soup. I probably used 3/4 of a bunch cilantro.

      beginning.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        November 03, 2015 at 8:55 am

        Linda, so glad you enjoyed the soup recipe! Thank you so much for taking a moment to share your comments.

        Reply
    8. Christina

      September 12, 2016 at 9:40 pm

      I've made this soup at least 5 times! It's truly delicious and very simple!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        September 12, 2016 at 11:18 pm

        I love that, Christina! So glad you're enjoy it! And funny thing is, that I, too, just made a big pot of this for my hubby and I over the weekend; so the fact you also made it is precious! (It's perfect for when you're under the weather, too—just add a bit more lime and some hot sauce or something to make it more spicy, and it becomes a "hot & sour" type of therapy!) 🙂

        Reply
    9. Sheena

      September 27, 2016 at 12:47 am

      I just crossed this pin and am very excited to try this! I love soup and we're having the perfect weather for it! I'll let you know the outcome and will definitely spread the word to my friends who cook!

      Reply
    10. Kelly

      November 01, 2016 at 6:57 pm

      I stumbled across your blog looking for a delicious mexican style soup to make for my husband and I. When I got to the comments about God I was so surprised! Someone like minded!! Way to go using this blog to share wonderful recipes AND glorify our maker. Wahoo!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        November 01, 2016 at 9:43 pm

        Thanks, Kelly! That's my mission: to offer physical sustenance, as well as some spiritual. We all need some uplift! I truly hope you are nourished by the soup!

        Reply
    11. Syndy Glick

      January 10, 2017 at 3:46 am

      Made this delicious soup tonight and loved every bite!! Perfect for a cold night.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        January 11, 2017 at 1:35 am

        Syndy, that warmed my heart; a soup like this is perfect for a cold night, and that you were warmed & comforted means a lot. Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    12. Susan

      April 02, 2017 at 2:53 pm

      I'm trying this on Tuesday! I LOVE the fact the ingredients are things I pretty much always have on hand. I'll only need to pick up the lime, cilantro and jalapeno! My only change will be to use brown rice. Also, I don't add rice or pasta to my soup if I know I'm going to have leftovers. I don't like when the rice or pasta gets bloated...Thank you for what I KNOW will be a great soup!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        April 02, 2017 at 3:06 pm

        Hi Susan, glad you'll be trying this! I also don't like to add my rice directly to my soup, either- you'll notice in the recipe that I add it to the individual bowls just before serving, so it doesn't "slurp up" all that good broth from the pot, lol! Hope you enjoy...

        Reply
    13. Elizabeth B

      December 02, 2018 at 6:22 pm

      Just made this tonight for my very discerning husband, daughter and son, and they loved it! Thanks so much. We love lots of flavor, and this soup totally has it. Lime and cilantro...yum! I didn't have ground coriander, so threw in seeds. My husband kept asking, what is that unusual flavor? He loved it. Delicious on the rice, made a fantastic one dish dinner tonight. Thanks again!

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        December 03, 2018 at 11:06 am

        Elizabeth, isn't it wonderful when everyone enjoys a recipe? 😉 So happy to read that you all found it flavorful, cozy and filling!

        Thank you for sharing.

        Reply
    14. Josh

      February 18, 2019 at 7:34 pm

      Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! My favorite restaurant used to make this before they shut down. I have been looking for a passable substitute for the PAST SIX YEARS with no luck, until today. My search has finally ended and I have only you to thank. I know you can't hear, but there is a rousing round of applause coming from my kitchen right now. Please feel free to take a well-deserved bow.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        February 18, 2019 at 7:42 pm

        Hi Josh, wow! Thanks so much for such a wonderful review!

        I cannot tell you how happy this makes me, as I know only too well what it feels like to lose a favorite restaurant and not be able to get a beloved dish; so the fact that I could (in some small way) help you out makes me feel like my work here is done. 😉

        Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me, and may you now get loads and loads of comfort and nourishment from one of your favorite soups once again!

        Reply
    15. Amy N Alvarez

      November 13, 2021 at 4:49 pm

      This soup was amazing! The rice ended up making it a little to thick. So next time I'll cut the rice in half. But that's just because I prefer a lot of broth!
      Other than that, it was amazing. So warm and comforting for a cold night.

      Reply
      • The Cozy Apron

        November 14, 2021 at 9:08 am

        Hi Amy, yes, if you add the rice directly into the soup pot, it will definitely thicken it. That's why I advise that you keep the rice separate, and add portions of it to individual serving bowls just before ladling the soup in, so that things stay brothy.

        Glad you enjoyed!

        Reply

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    Welcome to The Cozy Apron — so glad to have you as a guest at my table! Here's where I share my passion for food, people and life through my culinary creations and my writing; and where my husband shares his love for food photography and all things visual.

    More about Ingrid →

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