• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Kitchen at Hoskins
  • Halloween
  • Recipes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Mother's Day Recipes
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Mother's Day Recipes
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Soup

    Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

    Published: Aug 17, 2022 · Modified: Oct 3, 2024 by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    pinterest image.

    This Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup is wonderfully thick and luscious without any cream. Infused with simple curry spices, it’s both healthy and satisfying, perfect for warming up on a chilly night. Plus, it’s easy to prepare on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot!

    Jump to Recipe
    chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.

    This healthy chicken and rice soup is the perfect cozy recipe for fall! It’s simple, easy to make, and thick and creamy without using any cream. The curry flavor is perfectly balanced, making it a dish you'll want to enjoy again and again.

    Spicy seasonings meld with the chicken thighs, carrots, rice, and broth as they simmer slowly, creating a hearty and delicious dish. This comforting soup is a favorite go-to for busy fall and winter evenings. I love serving it alongside crusty rolls, breadsticks, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

    While I adore a from-scratch recipe using a whole chicken simmered for hours until the meat falls off the bone and the broth is rich and flavorful, busier days call for quick and easy soups.

    Similar to the Tuscan chicken soup recipe, this soup takes a shortcut by cooking chicken thighs and rice directly in the broth, delivering a savory, homemade flavor in under 30 minutes.

    My favorite part of this recipe is that it doesn’t require thickening agents like flour or cornstarch. The rice and carrots are blended with the spicy broth, naturally adding thickness and creaminess to the soup.

    Jump to:
    • Why you’ll love it?
    • Ingredients
    • Variations
    • How to make?
    • Instant pot method
    • How to store?
    • Recipe tips
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More chicken and rice recipes
    • Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

    Why you’ll love it?

    1. Quick, easy and ready in under 30 minutes.
    2. Cozy and comforting
    3. One pot meal
    4. Thick and luxurious
    5. No cream or milk
    6. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
    7. Mega flavorful with Indian curry spices

    Ingredients

    Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.

    ingredients needed to make chicken rice soup.
    • Rice - As with all instant pot rice recipes, I used Basmati rice, but you can use any type—white, brown, wild, jasmine, or even risotto rice—all work well in this recipe.
    • Chicken - As for all recipes with boneless chicken thighs, I used boneless, skinless thighs for their moist, juicy, and tender qualities, but breasts or tenderloins will work just as well.
    • Broth - I prefer to use reduced sodium chicken stock because you can you can adjust the salt.
    • Carrot - It boosts the nutritional value of the soup and adds a subtle sweetness that complements the spices.
    • Spices - Basic Indian curry spices such as ground coriander and cayenne pepper powder.

    Variations

    This creamy chicken and rice soup recipe is delicious as is, but feel free to customize to suit your taste. Here are a few suggestions:

    1. Spinach - Stir in chopped baby spinach at the end along with the shredded chicken.
    2. Rotisserie chicken - While we love the flavor that cooking chicken thighs in spicy broth imparts, leftover rotisserie chicken works well in a pinch.
    3. Peas - Stir in frozen peas after blending the soup and simmer until the peas are thawed and warm.
    4. Wild rice - Use wild rice instead of white rice; however increase the cooking time by 10 minutes.
    5. Bone-in chicken - If you are using other types of chicken, like bone-in thighs, breasts then make sure that the skin is removed before adding into the broth.

    How to make?

    You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.

    a hand cooking chopped onion in a white pot.
    Step 1 - Saute onion and garlic in olive oil and then toast curry spices.

    chicken thighs and brown broth in a white pot.
    Step 2 - Mix in chicken, rice, stock, carrots and salt. Cover and simmer until tender.

    Want To Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below, and we’ll send the link straight to your inbox. Plus, you'll get more creative recipe ideas every Sunday!

    a hand blending orange soup in a yellow pot using a white blender.
    Step 3 - Remove the cooked chicken and then blend all remaining ingredients until thick and creamy.
    orange soup and cooked chicken in a yellow pot.
    Step 4 - Shred the chicken and stir it into the soup.

    scooping a ladle filled curried chicken rice soup.

    Instant pot method

    1. Saute - Set instant pot to saute and let it heat up. Add oil and let it heat up for about one minute. Cook chopped onion and garlic until translucent and then toast curry spices.
    2. Pressure cook - Cancel saute function, stir in thighs, rinsed rice, stock, chopped carrots and salt. Close lid, making sure that the valve is set to sealing position. Pressure cook for 10 minutes in normal pressure and open lid after 10 minutes of warm mode.
    3. Shred - Remove the cooked chicken onto a plate and shred into chunks using two large forks.
    4. Blend - Blend all remaining ingredients using an immersion blender until thick and creamy.
    5. Finish - Stir the shredded chicken back into the instant pot and serve.

    How to store?

    The chicken and rice soup thickens as it refrigerates, so I recommend adding a splash of stock or water to thin it out, as the cooked rice absorbs some of the broth.

    To freeze - This creamy chicken and rice soup is made without cream, making it perfect for freezing! Unlike typical creamy soups, which can separate and become mushy upon freezing, this recipe's dairy-free base ensures excellent results.

    Recipe tips

    • Chicken - Use boneless chicken thighs or breasts.
    • Broth - I used 33% reduced sodium stock, so feel free to adjust salt if using regular or no sodium stock.
    • Spice level - Adjust cayenne pepper based on your spice tolerence.
    • Thickness - The chicken and rice soup will thicken as it cools. Simply mix in more stock to adjust consistency before serving.
    • Blenders - A good quality immersion blender or Vitamix is perfect. If using the immersion blender, make sure to use a large pot, so that it doesn't splatter outside when blending leaving you a mess to clean up after. If using the Vitamix, make sure that the soup has cooled down for a few minutes before blending.

    Recipe FAQs

    Can I use leftover rice?

    Yes, while I love how the raw rice cooks in the soup and absorbs all the flavors, leftover cooked rice works well in a pinch.

    Should you cook the rice separately?

    No! Some chicken and rice soup recipes recommend cooking the chicken and rice separately and adding them at the end to prevent the rice from absorbing too much broth and becoming overcooked. However, I prefer cooking the rice grains directly in the broth. This method infuses the soup with flavor as the grains absorb all the deliciousness, and blending it at the end eliminates the risk of overcooking.

    yellow chicken and rice soup in a yellow pot.

    More chicken and rice recipes

    • cooked chicken and rice in a white bowl topped with green peppers and avocado.
      Mexican Chicken and Rice
    • one white bowl with chicken and rice along with a black fork.
      Pesto Rice
    • Instant Pot Thai Chicken Fried Rice
    • instant pot chicken fried rice
      Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
    chicken and rice soup in a white bowl.

    Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

    This Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup is wonderfully thick and luscious without any cream. Infused with simple curry spices, it’s both healthy and satisfying, perfect for warming up on a chilly night. Plus, it’s easy to prepare on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot!
    4.8 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 Servings
    Calories: 224kcal
    Author: Maria Doss

    Equipment

    • Immersion blender
    • Vitamix
    • instant pot

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons oil
    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 3 garlic cloves chopped
    • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder increase or decrease based on your heat tolerence
    • 2 14.5 ounce cans chicken stock I used 33% reduced sodium
    • 2 medium to large carrots peeled and chopped
    • ½ cup white rice rinsed and drained
    • 2 to 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Stovetop method

    • Heat oil in a large pot, over medium heat. When hot, saute chopped onion and garlic, for 3 to 5 minutes or until translucent.
    • Stir in coriander and cayenne powders, cook stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.
    • Add all remaining ingredients (stock, carrots, rice, chicken thighs and salt), bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 15 to 18 minutes or until the rice is tender and chicken is cooked through.
    • Turn off heat, remove the chicken onto a plate, and let it cool down until you blend the soup. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, until thick and creamy.
    • Shred the chicken - Using two large forks, shred the chicken thighs into big chunks and transfer back into the blended soup. If the soup looks too thick , then stir in more stock to thin it down.
    • Ladle into bowls and serve topped with chopped cilantro.

    Instant pot method

    • Set the instant pot to saute mode and let it heat up. Add oil, onion, garlic and saute until translucent. Stir in the coriander, cayenne and saute for a minute.
    • Cancel saute mode, stir in thighs, rice, stock, chopped carrots and salt. Close lid, making sure that the valve is set to sealing position. Pressure cook for 10 minutes and then in warm mode for 10 minutes.
    • Open the instant pot, remove the chicken onto a plate, and let it cool down until you blend the soup. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup, until thick and creamy.
    • Shred the chicken - Using two large forks, shred the chicken thighs into big chunks and transfer back into the blended soup. If the soup looks too thick , then stir in more stock to thin it down.

    Notes

    To use Vitamix - If using the Vitamix, make sure that the soup has cooled down for a few minutes before blending.
    Thickness - The chicken and rice soup will thicken as it cools. Simply mix in more stock to adjust consistency before serving.
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 277mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4130IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

    Did you make this recipe?Mention @KitchenAtHoskins or tag #kitchenathoskins!

    Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment or review below or snap a photo and share on Instagram.

    Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com

    All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.

    « Black Sesame Ice Cream - 4 ingredients
    Healthy Black Sesame Seed Cookies »
    • Facebook
    • Flipboard

    Reader Interactions

    4.75 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome

    Hi, I'm Maria! I'm excited to share with you creative twists on classic Indian, American, and global dishes—perfect for easy family meals or unique dishes to impress guests!

    Read more ->

    Mothers Day Recipes

    • 12 mini banana muffins in a metal muffin pan.
      Mini Banana Muffins
    • 5 almond flour lemon cookies in a white fluted plate.
      Almond Flour Lemon Cookies
    • Make Mom Melt with These Irresistible Chocolate Recipes!
    • 23 Ways to Wow Mom at Brunch (Without Breaking a Sweat)

    New Recipes

    • black plate with 3 waffles with a slab of butter and syrup.
      Easy Blender Apple Waffles
    • cooked garlic fried rice in two blue bowls along with a black spoon.
      Garlic Fried Rice
    • white buttered noodles in a round white plate along with a black fork.
      Garlic butter Ramen Noodles
    • breakfast cookies placed on a wire rack.
      Breakfast Cookies
    • green sauce in a black bowl along with a black spoon.
      Cilantro Lime Sauce
    • candied walnuts piled high in a grey metal basket.
      Caramel Walnuts

    Footer

    Copyright © 2024 CANDY GINGER LLC  Privacy policy

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    150 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.