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Creamy Chicken And Rice Soup

Creamy chicken and rice soup with tender long-grain rice and a velvety golden broth, thickened with a butter-and-flour roux. Simmered until the chicken is cooked, then shredded and finished with heavy cream for a silky texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken breast
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
long grain white rice
  • 1 cup long grain white rice
carrots
  • 4 carrots
celery
  • 4 celery
onion
  • 1 onion
garlic
  • 4 clove garlic
chicken broth
  • 6 cup chicken broth
heavy cream
  • 2 cup heavy cream
butter
  • 4 tbsp butter
flour
  • 3 tbsp flour
dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
dried parsley
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sauté the vegetables
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, stirring until the onion turns translucent and the vegetables look slightly softened (visual cue).
Build the roux
  1. Add the garlic and flour to the pot and stir well. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste, looking for a lightly golden mixture (visual cue).
  2. Gradually add the chicken broth while stirring to keep the mixture smooth. Add the chicken, thyme, dried parsley, and nutmeg, making sure everything is submerged (visual cue).
Cook the chicken
  1. Simmer for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. When it reaches doneness, remove the chicken and shred it using two forks, then return the shredded chicken to the pot (visual cue: no pink in the center).
Cook the rice and finish
  1. Bring the soup back to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the long grain white rice and stir, then cover the pot (visual cue: gentle bubbling resumes).
  2. Simmer covered for 18 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring once during cooking if needed to prevent sticking. Keep a steady simmer so the liquid is absorbed (visual cue: rice grains look soft and plump).
  3. Stir in the heavy cream and the shredded chicken, then simmer for 5 minutes. The broth should look creamy and evenly colored (visual cue).
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine. Taste and adjust so the flavor is balanced (visual cue: seasoned finish without blandness).

Notes

For the creamiest texture, keep the soup at a gentle simmer after adding the cream rather than boiling hard. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days; reheat on the stovetop with a splash of broth or milk if it thickens. Freezing is okay, but the rice may soften further—freeze up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter result, adding it off the boil and warming gently.