A creamy, comforting and filling dinner. This chicken and rice soup, finished with lemon and parmesan, is a great way to use up leftover cooked chicken. A small amount of rice goes a long way!
“I made this soup last weekend & it was phenomenal! I was a little worried about adding the citrus but it paired really well. I wish I had taken a picture of it to post. Definitely recommend.”
– Sky
Nicky’s Notes
This is a wonderfully warming winter soup: thick, creamy and satisfying. You can serve it with crusty bread, but it stands alone as a full meal thanks to the rice and shredded chicken.
- Uses leftover or rotisserie chicken—no raw chicken prep required.
- Just half a cup of rice thickens the soup and makes it very filling.
- The rice soaks up the broth, giving every bite plenty of flavour.
- Lemon juice and parmesan brighten and deepen the final taste.
Table of Contents
- Nicky’s Notes
- 📋 Ingredients for creamy chicken & rice soup
- Abbreviated Recipe
- Recipe Tips
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
- ? Frequently Asked Questions
- 🍲 More fantastic Soup recipes
📋 Ingredients for creamy chicken & rice soup
Full recipe quantities and details are in the recipe card below.
- Cooked, shredded chicken – breast or thigh meat (leftover turkey also works).
- Rice – long grain or basmati are best. Brown or wild rice will need longer cooking and extra stock.
- Stock – hot chicken stock; water plus stock cubes is fine if needed.
- Cream and milk – use full-fat for best texture, especially if freezing leftovers.
Abbreviated Recipe
Sauté onion, celery and carrots in oil, stir in flour, then whisk in milk. Add stock, thyme and rice and simmer until the rice is tender. Stir in shredded chicken, lemon juice, cream and parmesan, season, warm through and serve with parsley.
Recipe Tips
- This is a thick, hearty soup—add extra stock or milk at the end if you prefer a looser consistency.
- Serve soon after cooking. Rice keeps absorbing liquid and can make the soup very thick if it sits too long.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Crusty bread or rolls for dipping.
- Garlic bread for extra indulgence.
- Top with crispy bacon for a richer finish.
📺 Watch how to make it
Chicken and Rice Soup
10 mins
40 mins
50 mins
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1cm chunks
- 2 tbsp plain all-purpose flour
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk, full-fat or semi-skimmed
- 1.2 litres (5 cups) hot chicken stock (water plus 4 stock cubes is fine)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 105 g (1/2 cup) uncooked long grain rice
- 250 g (2 cups) leftover cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (juice from approx. half a lemon)
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) double (heavy) cream
- 50 g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onion, celery and carrots and fry for 4–5 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the flour and whisk to coat the vegetables.
- Slowly pour in the milk, whisking until fully combined.
- Add the hot stock and dried thyme, stir to combine.
- Stir in the rice, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender.
- Add the shredded chicken, lemon juice, cream, parmesan, salt and pepper.
- Stir and heat for 2–3 minutes until the chicken is warmed through.
- Serve topped with fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. The soup will thicken as it cools and the rice will absorb more liquid, so the texture will change. Cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in a pan, stirring until piping hot. Add a splash of stock or water if you need to loosen the consistency.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Use full-fat milk and cream to reduce separating when defrosting. Cool, portion and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, adding a little stock if needed.
Ingredient swaps
- Replace chicken with turkey if you prefer.
- Swap carrots and celery for other sturdy vegetables that can simmer for ~25 minutes, such as mushrooms, butternut squash, broad beans or fresh corn.
- More tender veg (broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, sweet potato) should be added 10–15 minutes before the end of cooking. Spinach, kale or frozen peas can be stirred in 5 minutes before serving.
Scaling the recipe
Halve or double the recipe keeping the same ratios. A doubled batch may take a little longer to come to the boil, but simmer time remains similar.
Slow cooker notes
Rice can become mushy in a slow cooker. If using one, reduce stock to about 950 ml (4 cups) and add cooked rice at the end. Alternatively, add raw chicken at the point you add the stock and cook on low for 4–5 hours, shred the chicken if necessary, then add cream, parmesan and cooked rice to heat through.
Nutritional information is approximate and based on 4 servings.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 35 g |
Protein: 25 g |
Fat: 24 g |
Saturated Fat: 10 g |
Sodium: 1663 mg
Nutrition information is an approximation.
This chicken & rice soup was first posted in January 2023 and has since been updated with improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Cool, portion and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, adding a splash of stock if needed.
Yes. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly on the stove, stirring, and add stock to loosen if it has thickened.
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