Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

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

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.

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. 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

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!

Recipe

Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 40 reviews

A healthy one pot creamy chicken and rice soup

Recipe By: Madeline

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 1 hour 5 minutesTotal: 1 hour 20 minutes

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Servings: 6 servings 1x

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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

1. Dice onion, carrot and celery
2. Mix salt, pepper, dried parsley and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl
3. Season chicken thighs on all sides with seasoning mixture
4. Heat ghee or butter in a large pot over medium-high heat
5. Add chicken thighs to the pot and sear for 2 minutes each side
6. Remove the chicken from the pot, add the onion, celery and carrots to the pot and reduce the heat to medium
7. Saute the veggies for 5 minutes tossing frequently
8. Add the seared chicken thighs back into the pot along with the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown rice 
9. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil
10. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 50 minutes
11. After 50 minutes turn the heat off and remove the chicken thighs from the pot
12. Shred the chicken thighs and return them to the pot
13. 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.

1. Dice onion, carrot and celery
2. Mix salt, pepper, dried parsley and garlic powder in a small mixing bowl
3. Season chicken thighs on all sides with seasoning mixture
4. Turn the Instant Pot on to saute and melt ghee or butter 
5. Add chicken thighs to the pot and sear for 2 minutes each side
6. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and add the onion, celery and carrots to the Instant Pot
7. Saute the veggies for 5 minutes tossing frequently
8. Add the seared chicken thighs back into the Instant Pot along with the chicken broth, coconut milk, brown rice 
9. Set the Instant Pot to Manual/high pressure for 15 minutes
10. Allow the Instant Pot to come to pressure and then cook for 15 minutes
11. When the Instant Pot beeps, immediately release pressure and remove the lid
12. Remove the chicken thighs from the Instant Pot
13. Shred the chicken thighs and return them to the Instant Pot
14. 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

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.