Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Chicken and Rice Soup
Chicken and rice in a savory broth makes an especially welcoming bowl of soup. Tender vegetables give each spoonful a little sweetness, and parsley adds a fresh finish. It's a familiar dinner to enjoy slowly, with plenty of broth around the chicken and rice.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews · Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Soften the base
Cook the onion, carrots and celery in butter until softened before adding the minced garlic.
2. Tender vegetables first
Let the vegetables become tender in the simmering broth before the cooked rice goes in.
3. Brief garlic cook
Give the garlic its short cook with the softened vegetables before adding the chicken and broth.
Get to know the ingredients
Chicken
Use cooked shredded chicken here, so it only needs to heat through while the vegetables simmer.
Rice
The rice is already cooked; white, brown or wild rice are the listed choices.
Carrots
Peel, halve lengthwise and slice the carrots before softening them with the other vegetables.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Chicken and Rice Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Fresh parsley finish
Stir in the cooked rice for its final warming stage, then sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
A little more help as you go
Medium heat for butter
Melt the butter over medium heat before adding the vegetables for their first softening stage.
Season the simmer
The Italian seasoning, salt and pepper join the broth with the chicken before the simmer begins.
A few questions you might have
Can I add uncooked rice instead?
The directions call for cooked rice added at the end and do not give an uncooked-rice method.
Does the chicken cook from raw in the soup?
No, the listed chicken is already cooked and shredded before it goes into the broth.
Which broth is specified?
The recipe lists chicken broth, with low sodium broth identified as the example used.
Should I chop the onion finely?
Yes, finely diced onion softens with the sliced carrots and celery at the start.
When do I add the rice?
Add it only after the broth simmer has made the vegetables tender, then let it heat through.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
