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More Winter Soups
Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup
This creamy chicken and rice soup is one of my favourite ways to warm up when the weather turns cool. It’s hearty without being heavy, thanks to tender shredded chicken, soft rice, and a luscious, creamy broth. I love how it brings together pantry staples for a fuss-free meal that tastes like I’ve spent hours in the kitchen. Whether I’m feeling a bit under the weather or just after something nourishing, this one always hits the spot.
Ingredients
- 600g chicken thigh, skin and bones removed
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 bay leaves
- sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp or each dried: majoram, basil, oregano
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 150ml single cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 1 cup brown rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200C.
- Spread chicken thigh flat onto a baking tray and season with salt, pepper, and spritz with olive oil.
- Bake chicken in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven and dice. Set aside.
- In a crockpot over medium heat, cook onion, carrots and celery in oil for 10 minutes or until soft. Add chicken and stir through.
- Add 4 cups of stock and 1 cup of water, and stir through herbs. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to the boil over high heat. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove lid and add brown rice. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- As the rice cooks, heat butter over medium-high heat in separate skillet.
- Once melted, add flour and stir to form a paste. Gradually add the remaining cup of water and stir until a creamy and smooth.
- Add paste and single cream to soup and stir through until well combined.
- Remove from heat and allow to rest for ten minutes, before serving.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 519Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 177mgSodium: 478mgCarbohydrates: 22gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 30g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup Recipe
Pinterest and a Creamy Curveball
Creamy chicken and rice soup is everything I want in a winter soup: warm, comforting, just indulgent enough without making me feel like I’ve gone overboard. I originally set out to make a more traditional chicken and rice soup – something closer to what I’d eaten back home in Australia or even here in Scotland – but when I fell into a Pinterest rabbit hole (as one does), I kept stumbling across these creamy American versions. And well, you know how that ends. Curiosity took over, and I ended up with this rich, cosy bowl of creamy chicken and rice soup.
Now, I know soup is supposed to be a Scottish staple, especially when the weather turns bleak and the heating bill skyrockets, but I don’t recall coming across many creamy ones until I started poking around American recipes online. The classic Scottish versions tend to be brothy and wholesome – lovely in their own right, of course. But once I saw how lush a creamy version could be, I had to give it a go. And soup, let’s be honest, is a wonderfully forgiving thing to cook. It doesn’t punish you for winging it a bit, and any mistakes are usually fixable unless you completely scorch it (done that).
Soup was something we had all the time growing up in Australia, weirdly enough, considering how hot it was. And I’m not sure how or why this happened, but we always had our soup with pasta. Always. Even now, I catch myself doing it – chucking in a handful of spirali or conchiglie because that’s what my brain thinks soup needs. But this one? No pasta required. The brown rice is more than up to the job. It soaks up the flavour, adds that beautiful chew, and fills you up in the most satisfying way.
Cold Weather Cravings
This recipe came about during one of those bitterly cold spells where it feels like the damp has taken up permanent residence in your bones. I was craving something hearty and soothing – something that would actually warm me up instead of just pretending to. The creamy chicken and rice soup ticked every single box. It’s the kind of meal you make when you can’t feel your toes and need to be reminded that warmth exists. I made it one afternoon, and by the time I curled up with a bowl that evening, I was completely smitten.
Even though I started out aiming for a more familiar Scottish-style soup, I’m glad I let myself veer off track. Soup gives you that kind of freedom – you can start with one idea and end up somewhere else entirely, and it still works out. And because this one has a bit more richness than your average chicken soup, it feels just that little bit extra. Not fussy or over-the-top, just luxurious enough to make a plain day feel a bit special.
I do think this has become a proper winter go-to for me. It’s the sort of recipe I make when I need cheering up, when I’ve got leftover chicken, or when I just want something that feels like a hug in a bowl. And let’s be honest, in Scotland, you get plenty of opportunities for that kind of food. The weather doesn’t exactly hold back.
Soup Memories
Every time I make chicken soup, it brings back memories of childhood dinners. It wasn’t fancy or complicated, but it was always there. That kind of consistency means something, doesn’t it? I can still picture Mum standing over the stove, the smell of stock filling the house as the pressure cooker rattled, and me hovering nearby, waiting for it to be ready. It was one of the few meals I’d happily eat without complaint – which says a lot, because I was a very fussy eater.
This version is a bit more grown-up, I suppose. The cream gives it a silkiness that’s more indulgent, and the herbs add depth without being overpowering. It’s still very much a chicken soup, but with a little more oomph. I was surprised at how quickly it came together, too. Some soups feel like they take all day to coax into something decent, but this one behaves itself. A little butter, a little flour, some good stock – and suddenly you’ve got something magical simmering away.
I’ve used brown rice here, partly because I had some in the cupboard that needed using, and partly because it just works. It holds its shape and texture, which is what you want in a soup like this. You don’t want it turning to mush. And if you’re anything like me, it makes you feel like you’re being a little bit healthy while still indulging in something properly comforting. A balance I’m always striving for, let’s be honest.
Ingredients Breakdown
I always go for chicken thighs in a soup like this. They’ve got more flavour than breast meat and stay tender, even after simmering. Skin off, bones gone – we’re not making broth here, just a lovely, chunky soup. Give them a quick sear to get things going and you’ll thank yourself later. That golden edge brings so much extra flavour to the party.
The base starts like any good soup should: onion, carrot, and celery. It’s the holy trinity for a reason. Dice them up nice and small so they melt into the soup a bit as it cooks. I throw in a couple of bay leaves and a sprig of thyme, along with some dried marjoram, basil, and oregano. Nothing too bossy, just enough to round out the flavour and give it a bit of depth.
The creamy part comes together with butter, flour, and a generous splash of single cream. Not too much – this isn’t a sauce, it’s still a soup – but enough to make it silky. I use a mix of chicken stock and water for the liquid, and once the rice goes in, it all starts to come together. It’s rich without being heavy, full of flavour, and just the right amount of indulgent. The kind of soup you keep coming back to until the pot’s scraped clean.
This looks like a giant hug in a bowl ?