Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
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Make this Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup for the most comforting meal. You can make this creamy chicken and rice soup on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
Try brown rice as a gluten-free alternative to noodles in this creamy chicken and rice soup
I love traditional chicken soup. It is my ultimate comfort food, but I am always looking for ways to jazz it up and make subtle tweaks. Any kind of rice is an awesome substitute for noodles in chicken soup.
For this delicious recipe I chose to use brown rice because it is something I always have on hand in my pantry. I used a can of coconut milk to make this creamy soup, but do not worry there is no coconut-y taste.
This creamy chicken soup is perfect on a cold winter night. There is something about the soft brown rice that is even more comforting than noodles.
What kitchen tools will I need to make this Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup?
- Dutch oven, large pot or instant pot
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
- Liquid measuring cup
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Mixing spoon
You can make this simple soup recipe on the stove top in a dutch oven or large pot or you can make it in the instant pot. Keep reading for instant pot instructions listed in the recipe card.
Can you make this soup in a slow cooker?
Yes you can make this creamy chicken and brown rice soup in a slow cooker or crockpot. Sear the chicken and sauté the onions, celery and carrots on the stove top.
Place the rest of the ingredients into the crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Shred the chicken and stir it back into the soup.
Ingredients
You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this instant pot chicken soup with just a few basic ingredients.
- Butter or ghee
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Dried parsley
- Garlic powder
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Brown rice
- Coconut milk
- Chicken broth or chicken stock
Ingredient substitutions
There are many ways to alter this creamy chicken and rice soup. You can replace the coconut milk with heavy cream or regular whole milk. You can even use a different plant based milk, but make sure it is a higher fat option like cashew milk.
If you do not like chicken thighs you can replace them with chicken breasts. Feel free to use boneless or bone in chicken. Leftover chicken from a store bought rotisserie chicken also works well for this recipe in a pinch!
Turn this into a wild rice soup by replacing the brown rice with wild rice. You may need to simmer the soup for longer because wild rice can take longer to cook. Also, feel free to use long grain white rice in place of brown rice.
Looking for a classic chicken soup recipe? Try this chicken soup for a cold. It has lemon, ginger and turmeric to help you feel better when you are sick.
How to make Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
Step 1: Sear chicken thighs and saute veggies
To begin, dice onion, carrot and celery. Then, mix salt, pepper, dried parsley and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl.
Next, season chicken thighs on all sides with seasoning mixture. Heat ghee or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Then, add chicken thighs to the pot and sear for 2 minutes each side. Remove the chicken from the pot, add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and reduce the heat to medium.
Next, saute the veggies for 5 minutes tossing frequently.
Step 2: Boil and simmer soup
Then, add the seared chicken thighs back into the pot along with the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown rice. Increase the heat under the soup to high and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 50 minutes.
Step 3: Shred chicken thighs and serve
Then, after 50 minutes, turn the heat off and remove the chicken thighs from the pot. Shred the cooked chicken thighs and return them to the pot.
Finally, allow the soup to cool slightly and serve in small bowls!
Soup Garnishes
Serve this creamy chicken and rice soup with garnishes that enhance the flavor! My favorite garnishes are freshly grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest, cracked black pepper, and fresh parsley.
I also like to serve this soup with bread. Sometimes thats a hunk of a baguette or sometimes its a slice of my no knead focaccia bread.
How long will this chicken rice soup recipe keep in the fridge?
Once prepared allow the creamy chicken and rice soup to cool completely. Then, transfer to airtight containers. Store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze this soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. I like to store it in individual servings so that I can defrost them one at a time.
Souper cubes are perfect for storing the soup in individual portions.Reheat this creamy chicken soup on the stove top over medium-low heat with a little extra chicken broth.
Check out these other healthy soup recipes!
- Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
- Classic Vegetable Soup (Progresso Copycat)
- Homemade Chickarina Soup (Progresso Copycat)
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Chicken Pho Recipe
- Sausage Kale and White Bean Soup
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup
A healthy one pot creamy chicken and rice soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1.5 cups diced carrots
- 1.5 cups diced celery
- 3/4 cup dry brown rice
- 1 (14oz) can of coconut milk
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Dice onion, carrot and celery
- Mix salt, pepper, dried parsley and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl
- Season chicken thighs on all sides with seasoning mixture
- Heat ghee or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat
- Add chicken thighs to the pot and sear for 2 minutes each side
- Remove the chicken from the pot, add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and reduce the heat to medium
- Saute the veggies for 5 minutes tossing frequently
- Add the seared chicken thighs back into the pot along with the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown rice
- Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 50 minutes
- After 50 minutes turn the heat off and remove the chicken thighs from the pot
- Shred the chicken thighs and return them to the pot
- Serve the soup with fresh cracked black pepper and fresh parsley
Instant Pot Instructions ** This will only fit into an 8qt instant pot. If you have a 6qt Instant pot please reduce the size of the recipe by cutting back to 1/2 cup of rice and 3 cups chicken broth.
- Dice onion, carrot and celery
- Mix salt, pepper, dried parsley and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl
- Season chicken thighs on all sides with seasoning mixture
- Turn the Instant Pot on to saute and melt ghee or butter
- Add chicken thighs to the pot and sear for 2 minutes each side
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and add the onion, celery and carrots to the Instant Pot
- Saute the veggies for 5 minutes tossing frequently
- Add the seared chicken thighs back into the Instant Pot along with the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown rice
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual/high pressure for 15 minutes
- Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and then cook for 15 minutes
- When the Instant Pot beeps, immediately release pressure and remove the lid
- Remove the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot
- Shred the chicken thighs and return them to the Instant Pot
- Serve the soup with fresh cracked black pepper and fresh parsley
Notes
** I do not recommend Goya brand coconut milk for this recipe. It leaves too much coconut flavor
Amanda says
Love this recipe! So comforting 🙂 Last time I made this I added some broccoli and cauliflower since I had some in the fridge that was going bad soon – I chopped up small and added it when I added the chicken back in. I think this would be great with a variety of different veggies!
Madeline says
yum thanks Amanda! those sound like great additions
Clare says
Delicious!! Though I accidentally bought chicken breasts instead of thighs, I’m thinking that’s the reason the chicken was a little dry. But lots of flavor and yummy! I’ll make it again making sure I buy the right cut!
Katy says
I love this soup so much I double the batch to always have some in the freezer! THANK YOU!
Amy says
Woah, love the flavours in this soup. Did the instant pot version, half the recipe since it’s just the two of us. Must say, we will be making this recipe again, especially for the colder months to come 🙂 Had to leave a review, this was a great recipe. Thank you so much!
Madeline says
thanks so much Amy! I’m glad it was easily halved as well.
Erin McCarthy says
This soup is so delicious! I made it with chicken breasts instead of thighs and it was such a great comforting meal. Will be adding this to our fall soup rotation!
Madeline says
yay! so glad you enjoyed!!
Liz says
Such a great recipe! Love having it in the freezer for quick meals!
Kaitlin says
Delicious and very easy! Going to make another batch soon. We did instapot recipe. Next time I would add a tad more rice, but recipe as is is great too (especially if using as a side / part of me). We did as a full meal (with bread) and a bit more rice would make it more filling / hearty.
Madeline says
Thanks, Kaitlin! Glad you are making another batch. Enjoy!
Page says
Yummmmmm! I was looking for a healthy AND hearty chicken soup recipe and this hit the spot! I love that it’s all clean ingredients and has both stove and InstantPot instructions. I was worried about the coconut flavor being too strong, since I strongly dislike coconut. I used half a can of coconut milk, just in case, and substituted 1 cup more chicken broth. It still came out creamy with a soft nutty flavor, but no strong coconut flavor at all.
Madeline says
Sounds great! Thanks, Page! Glad you like it.
Katie says
I use chicken breast instead of thigh, but this soup is fantastic!! It’s super easy and super delicious. Definitely one of my go-tos!
Madeline says
Fantastic! Thanks, Katie!
Leslie Lillo says
The best soup ever! And I make a lot of soup. This is so tasty and comforting and it tastes like something that had to take hours to make but it’s really so easy. My go too soup for a rainy Sunday, to take to a sick friend or for entertaining a large crowd. So delish!!
Madeline says
Yay!! Thanks, Leslie!
Paris says
So delicious! I’ve made it a couple of times already!
Madeline says
YAY!
Sabrina Duffy says
My husband texted me “soup slaps” as he was eating this and that comments pretty spot on. Super easy and super yummy for cold winter days. Thanks mad!
Madeline says
Haha, yay! Huge compliment! Thank you!
Sara Browne says
Holy moly- I loved this soup. Would have honestly never thought to add coconut milk, but it makes the soup creamy and gives it a really unique flavor. I used wild rice mix instead of brown rice, but it came together beautifully. This is just what I wanted for a cold weekend!
Madeline says
Yay!! So glad it was a hit for a cold weekend!
Stacy says
Delicious!!
Madeline says
Thank you!!