Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is an old-fashioned recipe that’s made with chicken breasts, vegetables, and rice. This homemade soup is gluten-free and dairy-free. Chicken and rice soup is healthy and the broth is simply restorative.

Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup

Name: Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 h 30 min
Total time: 6 h 35 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used tenderloins); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 package frozen mixed vegetables (mine had carrots, corn, green beans, and peas); 1 32-ounce container chicken broth; 2 cups water; 1 cup instant white rice

While using the crockpot to make this soup from scratch isn’t quick, it sure is delicious. This easy recipe is best served with thick, crusty bread as you’d find at Panera. It’s made without soup or cream which makes it healthy and perfect to serve to your family for dinner. Start cooking a few hours before you need dinner to be ready to save time and energy during that hectic time of day.

Spread the chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and season with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt.

Add the onion and frozen vegetables.

Top with the chicken broth and water.

Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

When the cook time is up, remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly.

Turn the slow cooker to high and add the instant rice.

Place the lid on top and allow to cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until the rice has softened.

While the rice is cooking, shred the chicken.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir to mix before serving.

Tips for success

This recipe is served with instant white rice, but you can use other kinds of grains like wild rice, brown rice, barley, farro, wheat berries, or quinoa.
I like using chicken tenderloins here but you can try chicken breasts, thighs, legs, shredded rotisserie chicken, or pork sausage.
I use a bag of frozen vegetables because it’s quick, convenient, and tasty, but you can use fresh vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, onions, carrots, or celery.
Add herbs or aromatics like thyme, oregano, lemon zest, or rosemary to really make this dish shine.
Substitute the rice for noodles to make a classic chicken noodle soup. You can use homemade noodles, penne, ditali, ziti, farfalle, or another small pasta for easy bites.

How to serve

Some other soups you can make are Slow Cooker Tomato Soup, Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, or Ham Bone Soup.

It pairs well with Roasted Green Beans, Puff Pastry Asparagus, or Oven Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon.

How to store

Save any leftover slow cooker chicken and rice soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it in the microwave or in a pot on the stovetop.

You can also freeze it in small batches so it’s easier to thaw for individual portions. Be sure to label the container so you remember what you saved. Keep it in the freezer for up to three months.

FAQs

Is chicken and rice soup keto-friendly?

This recipe is not keto-friendly because the rice is high in carbs. However, you can substitute vegetables for the rice to make it the perfect keto-friendly dish.

Can I make this soup in an instant pot?

If you don’t have enough time to use the slow cooker, you can use the pressure cooker instead. Combine the ingredients in the bowl of the pot, seal on the lid, and set the timer for 20 minutes. Carefully release the steam, remove the lid, and serve immediately.

How can I make this soup creamy?

This chicken soup is made dairy-free, but you can add cream, Campbell’s canned cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, or cheese to make it creamy.

Yield: 5 servings