Chicken and Rice Soup – Make this classic soup in your Instant Pot or on the stove. With tender chicken and rice cooked to perfection, this soup is just what you need for a cozy meal!
If you love my Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup recipe, this Chicken and Rice Soup needs to be in your rotation too.
Why this Recipe Works
Nothing hits the spot on a chilly evening like a great bowl of chicken soup. I love a great chicken enchilada soup or chicken fajita soup, but sometimes you want something a little less spicy.
This Chicken Soup Recipe is just that. Simple, straightforward but still bursting with flavor. With garlic and a pinch of thyme, the brothy soup gets a mouthwatering aroma as it cooks.
The hardest part of making a great chicken and rice soup is often getting the rice the right texture. Cook it too long and it gets mushy. Don’t cook it long enough and you end up with unappetizing hard grains.
With this recipe, the long grain brown rice comes out perfectly every time. Tender with enough structure to keep it dissolving into the broth.
When you need a comforting homemade meal, this Chicken and Rice Soup is quick and easy without sacrificing taste.
Best of all you can make it on the stove OR in the Instant Pot!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken breast. Chicken thighs can be used instead, but be sure they are boneless and skinless.
- Long Grain Brown rice. Do not substitute white rice in this recipe or even jasmine rice.
- Carrots. The ones cut into matchsticks work best. You can buy them already cut and ready to eat at the grocery store. Or shred your own and that will work too.
- Seasoning. Hearty, earthy flavors you would expect, including thyme, garlic, and a bay leaf (remember to remove this before eating)!
- Spinach. Fresh spinach is best in this recipe. Frozen spinach leaves CAN be used, but will take a little longer to cook. Do not use the frozen spinach that is in a block shape.
Instant Pot Instructions
STEP 1. Saute the vegetables
Set your Instant Pot to SAUTE and add oil, onion, carrot and celery. Cook until the carrots are soften and the onion is translucent.
Stir in the garlic and time and cook another minute.
STEP 2. Pressure Cook
Add chicken, broth, water, rice and a bay lead to the Instant Pot. Sprinkle in salt and pepper.
Lock the lid and set the valve to SEALING. Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 11 minutes.
STEP 3. Shred Chicken
When the cook time ends, do a quick release of the pressure. Remove the bay leaf and the chicken. Shred or cut the chicken on a cutting board.
Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot and stir in the spinach. Ladle chicken and rice soup into bowls and serve!
Stove Top Instructions
If you haven’t gotten on board with the Instant Pot craze, you can still make this recipe the old fashioned way.
STEP 1. Saute the vegetables
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute until the onions are translucent and the other veggies soften.
Add the garlic and thyme. Saute until fragrant (about 1 minute).
STEP 2. Simmer
Add the remaining ingredients (except spinach) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and let the soup cook for 30 minutes.
Stir the Chicken and Rice Soup every so often as it cooks. When the chicken is tender and fully cooked, transfer it to a cutting board. Cut into bite sized pieces OR shred.
Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Stir the chicken back into the pot, along with the baby spinach. Serve and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- For the Instant Pot method, make sure to allow time for the pot to come to pressure.
- Do not let the Instant Pot naturally release. This may result in overcooked rice. We use the quick release for this recipe.
- Before cooking, be sure your brown rice is labeled “long grain.” Smaller grains will get overcooked.
Recipe FAQs
Your rice may be overcooked because you used a different variety than specified in this recipe. We tested this recipe with numerous varieties, and long grain brown rice worked best. If using the stove top method, rice can get mushy if the heat is too high. You want the soup to cook at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil).
Every soup goes well with a loaf of fresh baked Homemade Bread or Dinner Rolls. Oyster crackers or biscuits would also be delicious with this soup.
No, this is not a soup I would recommend freezing. The starch in the rice doesn’t hold up well to thawing and reheating. Leftover soup can be stored in the fridge and is best enjoyed within 2 days. If your family loves soup as much as mine, there will hardly be a drop leftover!
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Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped yellow or sweet onion about ½ of a medium onion
- 1 ½ cups matchstick carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery 2-3 stalks
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- ¾ cup long grain brown rice uncooked
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.5 cups baby spinach about half of a 5 oz. bag
Instructions
Instant Pot Recipe
- Select the SAUTE function on the Instant Pot. Add olive oil, onion, carrots and celery to the pot. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots and celery start to soften.
- Add the garlic and thyme and saute for an additional minute.
- Add the chicken, salt, pepper, rice, chicken broth, water and bay leaf to the Instant Pot.
- Close and lock the lid. Make sure the valve is set to SEALING. Select the HIGH PRESSURE setting and cook for 11 minutes.
- After the cooking time is complete, do a quick release of pressure.
- Open the lid and remove the bay leaf. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces or shred with 2 forks.
- Add the spinach to the pot and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Serve topped with parsley if desired.
Stove Top Recipe
- Add olive oil, onion, carrots and celery to a large pot or dutch oven. Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots and celery start to soften.
- Add the garlic and thyme and saute for an additional minute.
- Add the chicken, salt, pepper, rice, chicken broth, water and bay leaf to the pot.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring periodically, until rice and vegetables are tender.
- Remove the bay leaf. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to a cutting board. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces or shred with 2 forks.
- Add the spinach to the pot and stir to combine. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir to combine. Serve topped with parsley if desired.
Notes
- Recipe tested in 6qt Instant Pot.
- Doing a natural release of pressure for ten minutes may result in overcooked rice. Be sure to choose LONG GRAIN BROWN rice for this recipe.
Nutrition
Whether you make it on the stove top or the Instant Pot, this Chicken and Rice Soup is ready to eat in less than 45 minutes. Old fashioned comfort food at its best!
I made this recipe tonight and the rice was still a little too firm after the 11 minutes so I added 4 more minutes on high pressure m. It was so delicious! It was very hearty, next time I make this I’ll probably add a cup or so more of water to get a little more broth.
The perfect cozy meal, this was the perfect day for our gloomy day! The whole family loved it!
This looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try this one.
Wow – my whole family loves your recipe! Thanks so much
great recipe