Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot)

There is nothing quite like a steaming bowl of homemade soup to warm you up on a cold day. Especially when you find a recipe that tastes like it spent all day simmering—but actually comes together in one pot with total ease—like this absolute classic Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup.

Looking for more warm soup ideas? You should also check out my Baked Potato Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, Truffle Lasagna Soup, Creamy Tortellini Soup, and Authentic Chicken Tortilla Soup.

The magic of this soup lies in building layers of deep, savory flavor from the ground up. We start by building a fragrant and aromatic foundation, sautéing sweet white onions, carrots, celery, and fresh mushrooms in a rich blend of butter and olive oil.

We combine our garlic and warm spices—including a touch of ground cumin and cilantro flakes—right into those vegetables to draw out their natural oils. After simmering tender shredded chicken and cooked rice in a golden chicken stock, we finish with a rich emulsion of heavy whipping cream and grated Parmesan cheese. It’s rich, deeply satisfying, and pure comfort food made effortless.

This is not the can of soup I grew up on!

Ingredients you’ll need to make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:

• Olive Oil & Butter: A classic pairing. Olive oil prevents the butter from burning, while butter adds a rich, savory backbone that coats the aromatics.
• White Onion, Carrots, & Celery: The quintessential culinary mirepoix (classic French combination) that forms the foundational flavor and natural sweetness of the soup broth. Roasting your carrots will enhance your soup experience by slightly sweetening them and adding a bit of texture.
• Fresh Mushrooms: Deliver a boost of umami, giving the chicken broth a deeper, earthy flavor. You’ll add them to your soup while it’s cooking, but you’ll also want to set some aside to quickly toss with butter, salt, and garlic for the finale.
• Minced Garlic & Spices: You’ll need a blend of minced garlic and garlic powder, cumin, cilantro flakes, sea salt, and black pepper. Think depth of flavor, warmth, and herbal notes.
• Chicken Stock: Provides the savory liquid structure. Using a high-quality stock ensures every spoon has robust chicken flavor. Go with a low-sodium option to make this dish even better for you.
• Shredded Cooked Chicken: The primary protein, making the soup both hearty and satisfying. I normally pick up a whole chicken from my grocer, but lately, I’ve been able to grab chicken that is already shredded. If you are so inclined to make your own roasted chicken at home, check out my Instant Pot Whole Roasted Chicken recipe.
• Cooked Rice: Adds texture and starch. Cooking the rice separately prevents it from absorbing all your broth while the soup simmers. You can use white or brown rice for this recipe.
• Heavy Whipping Cream & Grated Parmesan Cheese: Transforms a clear broth into a velvety, luxurious base. The Parmesan acts as both a flavor enhancer and a natural thickener.

How to make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:

Roast the carrots. You will begin this recipe by slicing the carrots into small pieces, coating them in olive oil, and baking for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip them about midway through baking.

Sauté the Vegetables. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven (paid link) or soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped white onion, celery, and sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms turn light golden.

Combine the Garlic and Spices. Add the minced garlic, sea salt, black pepper, cilantro flakes, garlic powder, and ground cumin to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until the garlic is fragrant and the spices are evenly coated on all vegetables.

Simmer the Base. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Now add in the roasted carrots. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the Chicken and Rice. Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and cooked rice. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until both are thoroughly heated through and have absorbed the savory stock flavors.

Add the Heavy Cream and Parmesan Cheese. Turn the heat down to low. Slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream, stirring constantly until fully incorporated into the broth. Gradually sprinkle in the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until completely melted, smooth, and velvety.

Adjust & Serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if desired. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately.

This Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup is hearty and perfect as a starter or a meal in itself. Enjoy!

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5 from 10 reviews

Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot)

Recipe by Eric Jones

Discover how to make the best Easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup! A fast, one-pot comfort meal packed with veggies, chicken, and Parmesan.

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• Total Time40 minutes
• Yield6 1x

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1/2x1x2x3x

• 2/3 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 whole white onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cilantro flakes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 lb cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice (1/2 cup uncooked rice)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Coat the sliced carrots with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet (paid link). Bake the carrots for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing halfway through (10 minutes). Set to the side when done.
2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven (paid link) or soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped white onion, chopped celery, and sliced mushrooms. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften.
3. Add the minced garlic, cilantro flakes, garlic powder, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and the spices are evenly coated on the vegetables.
4. Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in the roasted carrots. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and cooked rice. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until both are thoroughly heated through.
6. Turn the heat down to low. Slowly pour in the heavy whipping cream, stirring constantly until fully incorporated into the broth. Gradually add in the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until completely smooth.
7. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with extra salt or pepper if desired. Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately.

Equipment

Dutch Oven

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Baking Sheet

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(paid link)

Notes

Set a handful of sliced mushrooms aside to toss quickly with butter, salt, and garlic to place on top of the soup for aesthetics. 

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Comfort Food
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Calories: 381
• Sugar: 2.7g
• Sodium: 722mg
• Fat: 17.2g
• Carbohydrates: 31g
• Fiber: 1.8g
• Protein: 23.9g
• Cholesterol: 88mg

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