Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

This Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup includes healthier swaps to lighten up this classic soup without losing any of the flavors - so, no canned cream of anything in this recipe. This comforting, nourishing soup is like a hug in a bowl and is easy to prepare for the week or freeze for later on.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: dinner, dinner recipe, Lunch, lunch recipe

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy chicken and rice soup recipe, healthy chicken and rice soup recipe

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 50

Servings:

Calories: 312kcal

Author: Tammy Overhoff

Equipment

5 1/2 quart dutch oven or soup pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
½ cup dry white wine
1 pound carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 small package celery chopped and chopped into small pieces
1 large onion chopped into small pieces
5 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups 2% milk
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
grated romano cheese

Instructions

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Add the chicken thighs and brown on both sides, about 4-5 minutes each. You might have to cook the chicken in a couple of batches because you don't want to overcrowd the pot.
Remove chicken and set aside.
In the same soup pot, pour in the rest of the olive oil and add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until fragrant and softened a bit.
While the vegetables are cooking, chop the chicken thighs into bite-size pieces.Set the chicken aside.
Pour the wine to the soup pot. As the wine boils, scrape up any bits that got stuck to the bottom of the pan. These bits are little nuggets of flavor, so don't skip this step. If you don't have wine, then use chicken broth.
Stir in the chopped chicken and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
Slow stir in the milk and rice. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for another 5 minutes or until hot.
Add in the salt and black pepper. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve in small bowls with grated romano cheese.

Notes

** serving size is 1 1/4 cups.

** You can also minute brown rice if you don't have rice made ahead of time and shave off cooking time. Add it in at the end and let it cook until the rice is tender.

Storage tips

For the week

After the soup cools, place it into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Portion the soup out into smaller containers If you plan to bring this soup to work for lunch.

To freeze

After the soup cools, place into portioned out airtight containers and freeze or freeze using silicone trays like SOuper Cubes and freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition