Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
I wasn’t in the mood to cook a big dinner so I decided to make a pot of creamy chicken and rice soup since I had leftover roasted chicken in the refrigerator. I have seen evaporated milk used in soup recipes to make it creamy without being full of fat so I decided to give it a try. This chicken and rice soup was thick, creamy, and delicious without all the guilt. My husband and I really enjoyed it and our daughter did too, but my son didn’t seem too enthusiastic about it, but he’s not a soup guy. I served it with big salad and a loaf of crusty bread and butter.
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2-3 carrots, diced
- 2-3 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 cups of homemade chicken stock (click the link for the recipe)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon (I love Herb ox)
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced (more if you like)
- 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
- 1/2 cup of frozen sweet yellow corn, thawed
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery once hot. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds.
Add the chicken stock, diced chicken, rice, bouillon, basil, sea salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Turn the soup up until it boils. Mix the corn starch and evaporated milk thoroughly in a bowl. Add the milk mixture to the boiling soup and stir.
Lower the heat and add the corn. Mix thoroughly and simmer for a few more minutes. The soup will thicken as it sits. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of olive oil
- ½ yellow onion
- 2-3 carrots diced
- 2-3 stalks of celery diced
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 5 cups of homemade chicken stock click the link for the recipe
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon I love Herb ox
- ½ tsp dried basil
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast diced (more if you like)
- ½ cup long-grain white rice
- ½ cup of frozen sweet yellow corn thawed
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery once hot.
- Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 60 seconds.
- Add the chicken stock, diced chicken, rice, bouillon, basil, sea salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
- Turn the soup up until it boils. Mix the corn starch and evaporated milk thoroughly in a bowl. Add the milk mixture to the boiling soup and stir.
- Lower the heat and add the corn. Mix thoroughly and simmer for a few more minutes. The soup will thicken as it sits. Enjoy.
Made this soup for dinner tonight. Loved it! I chose brown rice, which took a little long to cook through, but it was so tasty and now I have a big pot of leftovers for lunch this week. Great recipe.
How many servings do you think this makes?
Thanks so much for the link!!
This looks SO yummy!!
Thanks so much for the link!
It looks so yummy!! Come on back for more ideas!
Do you think fat free evaporated milk would work?
Absolutely!
Made this soup last night…amazing!!!! Even my 2 yr old and 1 yr old LOVED it!! Any idea how many calories per serving?
I made this today and it was the best soup ever!! The only I made were adding a cup more of chicken broth and using Knorr stock in the little jelly like cubes (1/2 of one cube) instead of the bouillon cube. I did add extra cup of chicken and more corn and used the boil in the bag rice. You will not need much salt. My 4 year old grandson complained all the way home from preschool because he was going to have to eat soup for lunch. He ate almost three bowls and kept saying its so yummy! He has asked me to make it all the time. This is a keeper. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
Do you add the rice uncooked or do I need to prepare it first?
Liz,
The rice is uncooked when I add it to the soup.
Cheers,
Pam
How much soup does this make? Can you make it early in the day and let it simmer or will it get too thick?
Beth,
It makes about 6 servings. I think it would get too thick if you let it simmer all day long. I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Pam
I made this last night and it was absolutely delish! My mom was over the moon on this, she wants me to cook this for her on her bday (her bday’s coming up in about 10 days). Changed a bit the ingredients though. I used fresh instead of dried basil, used chicken bouillon for the stock, and I used flour instead of cornstarch. Thanks for giving me a great addition to my recipe bank!
Do you used cooked or uncooked rice?
Tessa,
The rice is uncooked when I add it to the soup.
Cheers,
Pam
What do you do for the homemade chicken stock?
Marcia,
Click the link above for the recipe.
Cheers,
Pam
Made this for dinner tonight, and thankfully I have enough leftovers to bring to work with me tomorrow for lunch because this is some of the best soup i’ve ever had, and I’m not a huge fan of soup. I even ate the carrots despite usually avoiding them like the plague. Very delicious, and my parents say i have to make it again sometime soon.
Really need the calorie count–January is around the corner.
this is such a great recipe! Thanks for sharing my family loved it and I will be making it for the second time this week. 🙂
holy canoli, this looks soo good I’m making it today !! thanks for sharing :))
This was Delish!!! I used fat free half & half
& canned corn. Had leftover rice & diced chicken
in the freezer. Also cubed a frozen baguette &
made croutons to top the soup. I called it throw
away soup. Leftovers you would throw away!!
Thanks for the recipe. Loved it!!!!!!!
PS. Also added added cayenne pepper & freshly grated nutmeg. WOW!!
This looks great! Could I make this in my crock pot?
Amanda,
I am sure it would be fine. Maybe just wait to add the evaporated milk until just before serving.
This is a fabulous recipe! Of course I altered it a little – didn’t have all of the exact same ingredients on hand. The biggest difference was I used whole milk instead of evaporated. (By the way, did you know that there are 338 calories in a cup of evaporated milk, as opposed to 146 in 1 cup of whole milk? I had no idea til I looked it up). I also reduced the amount of chicken stock to 3.5 cups and skipped the bouillon cube. Oh and I didn’t have any corn, but I think I would add corn or peas next time. Anyway, it was fabulous. Our family of 5 ate the whole pot worth. Thank you for sharing!!
Totally off topic, but where did you get the spoon?!?!? Love it.
And can’t wait to try the soup.
This soup is amazing! I have made it about 10 times already. My neighbor said it is the best soup she has ever eaten. I like to put a bit of white wine or sherry in it at the very end. Thank you!
This looks yummy! I was wondering, where did you get the beautiful silverware from? I just love it!
Donna,
I got the silverware from Cost Plus World Market several years ago. I don’t think they sell them anymore. 🙁
Cheers,
Pam
Since this is a broth based soup, calorie count should be lower as with most or all broth based soups. I’m not worried about that but I would like for there to be a print friendly button so I could print out the recipe.
Ish,
There is a link to a printable version of this recipe at the bottom of the post.
Cheers,
Pam
Thanks. I will definitely try this one. Sounds fabulous!
I made this and it is delicious! I used “Better than Bouillon” for my stock, and eliminated the bouillon cube. It was quick and easy!
Found different kinds of long grain rice, so I bought brown long grain rice. Followed the directions, cooked the 15-20 as stated (mine started to boil during that time on Med heat) and my rice was not done by the time I got through the entire process.
Mandi C-
Unfortunately, brown rice always takes about 40 minutes to cook – usually double the time white rice cooks. Hopefully, if you let it simmer longer, it will turn out fine.
Pam
Thanks!! We dont eat a lot of rice (But I LOVE chicken and rice soup), and when we do I just follow whatever the package says, never really paying attention that brown takes longer. I will most definitely try this again as I enjoyed the flavor. Would the brown rice have anything to do with it not getting very thick? I let it sit but it never really got thick.
I don’t think it had anything to do with the rice. Did you let it boil while you added the cornstarch and evaporated milk mixture? That usually helps make it thicken. If doesn’t work for you next time, simply add more cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with milk) to the soup while boiling.
Pam
Any ideas how to make this milk-free but still creamy? Would soy or coconut milk work?
I’ve never tried it but it could work, although, it would change the flavor. Let me know how it turns out.
Cheers,
Pam
We enjoyed this soup so much. Thank you!
I made this soup tonight. My 14 months old and my husband loved it! This is a keeper! Thank you.
This creamy soup was delicious! Followed the recipe exactly, and it was perfect. I’ll definitely be making this again, real soon. Thanks
Yumm! Made it tonight and it turned out great. Suggestions for thinning out the leftovers a bit without losing all of the creaminess? Just add a splash of stock?
Lindsay,
Yes, I would add stock until it’s the consistency you like. Taste & re-season with salt and pepper if needed.
Pam
I’ve made this twice in the past week as it’s been bitterly cold here. This is SUCH a great comfort-type of soup and I just love it. I’ve used both deli chicken (those pre-roasted little chickens in the deli, just cut the meat off) and organic garlic chicken meatballs when the deli was out. Both so good. Thank you for a wonderful gluten free, creamy soup!
My soup did not thicken. I put the correct amount of cornstarch. I did not put celery in mine, I added extra chicken. The only thing I did wrong was I had my husband to cook the rice for me while I was coming in from work. After reading the comments I realize I was supposed to cook the rice in the broth.
Better than Paneta Bread.
Great soup. Made it last night and people had seconds.
I’ve made this soup several times now. It’s so delicious and comforting on cold evenings! My family loves it.
Joyce,
I’m so happy you and your family enjoy this soup. Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
-Pam
I have to eat a low sodium diet and was able to adapt the recipe to my needs. I used no sodium added chicken broth in place of regular. I added some white pepper as well as black pepper and 2 packets of the Herb Ox bouillon. Everything else was as written. It was delicious! Thanks!!!
Peg,
I’m so glad it worked out for you with your changes! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam