Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
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Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Get ready for a comforting bowl of goodness—say hello to our Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup! Loaded with shredded chicken, fragrant herbs, and a touch of spice, it's a flavor explosion. With the creamy richness of Parmesan + mozzarella cheese and the hearty texture of basmati rice, each spoonful is pure comfort, perfect for a nourishing weeknight meal. Vegan + Gluten-free Option.
I love meal-prepping shredded chicken because it's SO versatile—it's great in sandwiches, pastas, and especially soups like Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup. This soup is a hit with my family, and I bet yours will love it too. It's ideal for those hectic evenings when you're short on time but still crave a hearty, nutritious meal for dinner.
This soup is super creamy, packed with texture from the basmati rice + veggies. Plus, it's a one-pot wonder (minus prepping the shredded chicken), so cleanup is a breeze. It's creamy, flavorful, and perfect comfort food for the whole family. The steps are simple, and you can easily make it your own—add your favorite sides or go meatless. And if you have dietary restrictions, it's adaptable for vegan or gluten-free diets.
If you're a fan of both soup and chicken, you won't want to miss out on these delicious options next --- Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Nourishing Jamaican Chicken Soup, Classic Chicken Noodle Soup, 'Marry Me’ Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Creamy Lemon Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and Spicy One-Pot Jerk Chicken and Dumplings.
Jump to:
- Why You Will LOVE This Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
- How To Make Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
- Ingredients
- What is Shredded Chicken?
- Tips For Making Good Soup Every Time:
- Topping Ideas for Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
- How to Thicken Soup in General
- Other Options Instead of Basmati Rice
- Why Won't My Cheese Melt in the Soup?
- Common Q + A's For Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
- More Comforting Soup Recipes to Try this Season!
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Why You Will LOVE This Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Once you make and eat this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup —you’ll fall in absolute love. Haha. More importantly, here are also the reasons why you’ll love it the most:
- It’s super easy to make.
- Wholesome + oh-so-nourishing ingredients
- Makes for a great weeknight meal or laidback weekend with a full vegan + gluten-free option.
- So creamy and full of texture.
- Great for meal prepping and make aheads for the week!
- Super flavorful.
- Did I mention, it’s just delicious?
How To Make Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Once you've shredded your chicken, it's as easy as using just one pot for everything. Start by cooking your aromatics, stock, heavy cream, and veggies in the same pot. Then, add your rice and let it all simmer together. Finally, stir in the cheesy goodness towards the end! Voila, you've got a delicious and easy meal ready to enjoy.
Ingredients
SOUP:
- Extra virgin olive oil. For sauteeing, you could also use avocado or grapeseed oil.
- Shredded Chicken. See my easy shredded chicken recipe!
- Red onion. You can also use white or yellow onion.
- Garlic cloves. You'll mince your garlic for a good sauté.
- Celery stalks + carrots. These vegetables create the delicious, flavorful, aromatic base of the soup.
- Herbs + seasonings. Fresh thyme sprigs, bay leaf, sea salt, black pepper, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley + garlic powder.
- Chicken or vegetable stock. Use store-bought low-sodium broth or make your own! For added nutrition, add in half the amount in bone broth.
- Heavy cream. I recommend organic–always! Of course, for a dairy-free option, just use full-fat coconut cream/milk.
- White cooking wine. You can omit + sub with stock.
- Cooked Basmati Rice. You can also use 1 cup of dry long grain rice; be sure to add an extra cup of stock if you do.
- Parmesan + Mozzarella cheese. I love to freshly grate my cheese, however, you can use your favorite shredded brand---quality does matter! For a dairy-free option, So Delicious Dairy-Free or Violife cheese shreds taste great.
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS SOUP!
Here, I've curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup recipe. Everything from my fave baking sheet, dutch ovens, immersion hand-blender, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
What is Shredded Chicken?
Basically shredded chicken or also known as pulled chicken is just the process of ripping chicken apart into a shred-like texture which works in many recipes like sandwiches, salads, appetizers, soups like this one and more! It's completely tender, flavorful, and versatile, shredded chicken boasts a succulent quality that's hard to resist. Whether infused into soups, pasta, gracing salads, or adorning tacos, its adaptability is unmatched!
Tips For Making Good Soup Every Time:
Now, if you're intimidated with making soup or are concerned that it won't turn out as delicious, no worries. In my experience with making many different types of soup and watching the adults around me make a TON of soup (it's a staple in the Jamaican culture), I've learned a few things along the way that can help you make really good soup, including this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup recipe.
- Chop your veggies and ingredients into bite-sized pieces for greater ease when eating.
- ALWAYS sauté your veggies, especially the garlic, onions, etc.
- Make your own stock if you can or use water as your base with seasonings + herbs for a great taste. If using store-bought stock/broth, always purchase high-quality ones.
- Let it simmer. While you might be tempted to cook your soup on high for a faster cook time, it's definitely BEST to let everything simmer and allow the flavors to "fuse" together slowly.
- If using meat, always sear your meat in the pot first prior to adding it to the soup to cook the rest of the way.
- If adding dairy or an alternative, always stir it in last or during the final few minutes.
- To thicken (if needed), always mix your thickener (flour, arrowroot, starch, etc.) in a small bowl with some of the hot broth from your soup before adding it to the entire pot of soup. This prevents lumps and gives you a nice creaminess.
Topping Ideas for Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
While I love this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup dinner as-is, straight from the pot, you can dress it up with toppings if you like.
For extra flavor, color, and texture, you can try:
- Candied bacon
- Dollops of Pesto Sauce
- Chopped nuts, such as toasted pecans or walnuts
- Homemade croutons
- Sliced jalapeños for a bit more heat
- Herb roasted tomatoes
- Roasted pumpkin seeds for texture
- More parmesan cheese
- Crispy sage leaves
- Toasted panko bread crumbs
Best Breads To Enjoy With This Chicken Soup
- Homemade Texas Toast Garlic Bread
- Homemade Roasted Garlic Bread
- Cheesy Kale Garlic Bread
- Brown Butter Pumpkin Cornbread
- Vegan Everything Bagel Brioche Bread
- Vegan Garlic Naan Bread
How to Thicken Soup in General
While many soups are thickened for texture, what you use as a thickening agent is solely up to you. All in all, it depends on how you like it! Use 1 tablespoon at a time mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to dilute. Then pour the mixture into the soup, simmering for an additional few minutes to activate the thickener.
Other Options Instead of Basmati Rice
When you're out of basmati rice, you have plenty of other options to make your soup nice and hearty. Some of my other favorites include:
- Wild Rice or brown rice
- Quinoa
- Farro
- Orzo or other small pasta shapes.
Why Won't My Cheese Melt in the Soup?
It's so important to use freshly grated parmesan cheese for the creamiest results in your creamy chicken gnocchi soup. While you can use shredded cheese, it won't melt as seamlessly because it has a special "coating", which prevents it from melting smoothly.
NOTE: If you only have shredded cheese, then I recommend adding it the soup while it's simmering in the last 5 minutes or so, stirring until melted and then topping it immediately after serving it into bowl(s).
Common Q + A's For Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, for optimal freshness. Can also be frozen for 4-6 months. To defrost, simply place soup in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before re-heating on the stove top to serve.
To make this soup vegan, be sure to omit the chicken and substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream/milk, chicken stock with veggie stock, and cheese with nutritional yeast and/or dairy-free cheese shreds and parmesan.
To make this soup GF-friendly, simply substitute the rice with a gluten-free version (if using any pre-cooked rice) and ensure that other ingredients (i.e. stock, heavy cream, etc.) are GF-friendly and you use GF bread on the side, if using.
More Comforting Soup Recipes to Try this Season!
Now that you've fallen in love with this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup recipe, try these family-friendly recipes next!
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Tortellini Soup
- Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chickpea Soup
- Apple Cheddar Sweet Potato Soup
- Loaded Vegan Veggie Soup
- Easy Flavorful Rigatoni Meatball Soup
- Creamy Lemon Broccoli Tortellini Soup
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
Creamy White Chicken + Rice Soup
Ingredients
SOUP:
- 2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups Easy Shredded Chicken
- ½ red onion, chopped (You can also use white or yellow onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 organic celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled + chopped
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, organic
- 1 cup heavy cream, organic
- 3 Tbsps white cooking wine (You can omit + sub with stock)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-1 ½ cups cooked Basmati Rice (You can also use 1 cup of dry long grain rice; be sure to add an extra cup of stock if you do)
- 1 cup freshly-grated parmesan
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, organic
Instructions
COOK + SHRED THE CHICKEN:
- To make + prep the chicken, be sure to follow my Easy Shredded Chicken recipe!
TO MAKE THE SOUP:
- In a medium-sized dutch oven pot over medium high-heat, add the olive oil. Once heated, add the chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add carrots and celery, sautéing until slightly tender, about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, smoked paprika, and basil, stirring until combined.
- Add in the stock, heavy cream, white cooking wine, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, shredded chicken, and cooked white rice, stirring to combine. Let everything simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are tender and fully cooked through. NOTE: If using dry long grain white instead, be sure to add everything (except the heavy cream) and allow it to all simmer for slightly longer----about 10-15 minutes so that the rice can cook through; then add in the heavy cream and continue.
- Add in the grated parmesan and shredded mozzarella, stirring until the cheese has melted and the soup becomes creamy. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from heat, discard thyme leaves + bay leaf, and serve immediately into prepared bowl(s), top with a side of garlic bread or salad, if desired.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, for optimal freshness. Can also be frozen for 4-6 months. To defrost, simply place soup in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before re-heating on the stove top to serve.
- SPICES/HERBS: If desired, you can reduce the amounts slightly. Please know that this recipe is bold in spice/herb flavor, so feel free to adjust based on your tastebuds.
- GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To make this soup GF-friendly, simply substitute the rice with a gluten-free version (if using any pre-cooked rice) and ensure that other ingredients (i.e. stock, heavy cream, etc.) are GF-friendly and you use GF bread on the side, if using.
- VEGAN OPTION: To make this soup vegan, be sure to omit the chicken and substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream/milk, chicken stock with veggie stock, and cheese with nutritional yeast and/or dairy-free cheese shreds and parmesan.
Nutrition
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I’ve recently been experimenting with various dishes outside of my comfort zone foods— I made this recipe tonight and it exceeded my expectations! The recipe was easy to follow and the taste was out of this world. It will definitely be added into my rotation of meals. Thank you!!
Hi Sab! WOW! I'm so happy to hear that you found this recipe easy to follow and with an amazing turn out! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂