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Creamy Chicken And Rice Soup

Creamy chicken and rice soup with tender long-grain rice and a velvety golden cream broth. Made with a butter-flour thickening base, simmered until the rice is soft and the chicken is shredded.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Use boneless skinless for even shredding.
Long-grain rice
  • 1 cup long grain white rice Rinse if you prefer less starch.
Vegetables
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 4 celery, sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Broth and cream
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cup heavy cream Add at the end to keep it silky.
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour Helps thicken the broth.
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.1 salt and pepper to taste Adjust to your preference at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and smell fragrant.
  2. Add the garlic and flour, and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly until the flour smells lightly toasted and thickens the pan juices.
Build and simmer the soup base
  1. Gradually pour in the chicken broth while stirring so no lumps form.
  2. Add the chicken, thyme, dried parsley, and nutmeg, then bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 15–18 minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it, then return the shredded chicken to the soup.
Cook the rice and finish
  1. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the long grain white rice.
  2. Cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream and the shredded chicken, then simmer for 5 minutes until the broth turns creamy and cohesive.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, add the heavy cream only after the rice is tender, and keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat on the stove with a splash of broth or water if it thickens too much. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can break when thawed; a better make-ahead swap is to freeze the soup base (without cream) and stir in cream after reheating.