Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Feb 14, 2025 
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe – A comforting classic chicken and rice soup recipe that is ultra creamy and rich with parmesan cheese and our gluten-free secret ingredient.
Why We Love Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
Chicken soups are among my favorite comfort food recipes. There are an infinite number of versions, with noodles, tortillas, tortellini, and dumplings… SO MANY different varieties to enjoy. Whatever mood you are in, or taste you are craving, there’s a sort of chicken soup for you.
Loaded with a classic combination of onions, celery, and carrots, and including hearty rice, Chicken and Rice Soups are particularly comforting dishes any time of year. They are a complete meal in a bowl, and often incredibly easy to make! And if you love Chicken and Rice, then you will absolutely love this creamy parmesan chicken and rice soup!
Many creamy chicken soups call for heavy cream or artificial cream-of-something fillers. But our healthier, and in my opinion, far more delicious and nourishing version uses simple parmesan cheese and “secret ingredient” cornstarch to get that perfectly rich soup we all love.
What Ingredients You Need
You’ll love the classic flavors of our Creamy Parmesan Soup, made lighter but still incredibly rich by swapping traditional heavy cream with parmesan cheese and cornstarch.
Plus, did I mention that all of the ingredients are gluten-free?!
Here’s what you need:
- Butter – preferably unsalted
- Sweet onion – peeled and chopped
- Medium carrots – chopped
- Celery – chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Fresh thyme leaves – or substitute with 1 tsp dried thyme
- Bay leaf – adds earthy flavor, remove before serving
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – or chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken will work as well
- Chicken broth – or water + 10 tsp chicken bouillon
- Dried long-grain rice – white rice (or brown rice with additional cook time)
- Parmesan cheese – grated
- Cornstarch – helps to thicken the soup
- Parsley – chopped
- Salt and pepper – helps the soup’s flavor stand out more
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
All of the ingredients for this comforting chicken and rice soup recipe are easily cooked together in just one heavy soup pot. And you don’t even need to cut up the chicken or cook the rice beforehand!
- First, place a large 6-8 quart pot or dutch oven on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the butter and melt. Then add in the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for a few minutes to soften.
- Add in the fresh or dried thyme, bay leaf, whole chicken thighs, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and stir in the dried rice.
- Cover and reduce the heat, and simmer for several minutes. Use tongs to move the chicken thighs to a large bowl or cutting board, and using two forks shred the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces. Continue to gently simmer the soup, uncovered, while you shred the chicken.
- Next, in a small bowl mix together the grated parmesan cheese with the cornstarch. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue stirring as you add the parmesan and cornstarch mixture into the soup.
- Simmer and stir for another few minutes until the soup is thick and creamy.
- Give the soup a taste and salt and pepper as needed. Lastly, remove the bay leaf and stir in the fresh parsley before serving warm.
Get the Complete (Printable) Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
The comforting, savory flavors of chicken and rice soup pair wonderfully with a variety of sides to create a satisfying meal. Enjoy it with garlic bread for dipping; the warm, toasted slices will soak up the delicious broth perfectly. A fresh mixed green salad with a zesty vinaigrette adds a crisp contrast, while a Caesar salad brings a classic touch to the table.
For a heartier option, consider roasted vegetables like carrots, zucchini, or Brussels sprouts. Their caramelized sweetness enhances the soup’s flavor and adds texture. If you’re in the mood for something indulgent, classic grilled cheese sandwiches make for delightful accompaniments that complement the warmth of the soup.
Tips & Tricks
- Make sure you cook the rice in the soup! This adds flavor and starch to the broth.
- For extra flavor, add a dash of white wine before adding in the broth!
- Don’t overcook the rice! The beauty of this recipe is that it only takes about 30 minutes total, so the rice shouldn’t get overcooked. However, if you need to simmer for longer, than add the rice with just about 20-30 minutes left.
Frequently Asked Questions
Soups with starchy ingredients (like pasta or rice) do make good leftovers if stored in the fridge and eaten within the next 24-48 hours.
However, the rice will continue to absorb the broth and make the mixture more of a thick stew rather than a creamy soup. You can add additional broth to loosen the soup when rewarming.
No. Adding in uncooked rice (or dry rice) gives the grains extra flavor as it cooks in the pot, making this healthy chicken rice soup even more delicious!
If you want a lighter classic soup, just skip the parmesan cheese and cornstarch. It won’t be as creamy, but the soup will still have great texture and flavor thanks to the rice and veggies.
You can even swap the butter with olive oil, for a dairy-free version.
Looking for More Savory Soups? Be Sure to Try:
- The Best Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe
- Healthy Italian Wedding Soup
- Cream of Chicken Soup (and Condensed)
- Easy French Onion Soup Recipe
- Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe
- Sausage and Kale Soup
- Tomato Potato White Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- (Better Than) Olive Garden Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Thai Khao Soi Recipe (Coconut Curry Soup)
- Spicy Vegan Ramen Recipe
- Rustic Ribollita Recipe (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
Get the Complete (Printable) Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe + VIDEO Below. Enjoy!
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, or breasts
- 10 cups chicken broth, or water + 10 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 cup dried long-grain rice
- 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place a large 6-8 quart pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted add in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, stirring to soften.
- Add in the thyme, bay leaf, chicken thighs, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the dried rice.
- Cover and simmer for 12 minutes. Then use tongs to remove the chicken thighs. Use two forks to shred the chicken into bite-size pieces. Continue to simmer the soup uncovered, while you shred the chicken.
- Mix the grated parmesan cheese with the cornstarch. Stir the chicken back into the soup. Continue stirring as you add the parmesan mixture into the soup. Simmer another 2-4 minutes to thicken the soup base.
- Taste. Then salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaf and stir in the fresh parsley. Serve warm.
I was looking for a gluten free creamy chicken rice soup recipe and this one is amazing! I used dried herbs (reduce by 1/3 fresh), diced up cooked rotisserie chicken meat and used my Instant Pot to cook the soup. Used the sauté feature for the veggies then cooked all ingredients (except parm & corn starch) on Soup button for 5 minutes. Let it slow release for 10 minutes. Added last 2 ingredients, stirred & it was SO good! I was worried that the Parmesan would over power the soup but it didn’t.
So good!
Awesome and easy to make soup. Highly recommended
5 stars.
Do you use both chicken broth and 10 tsp of chicken bouillon, and is it powered bouillon?
Deb, the recipe says to use 10 cups of broth OR water and 10 teaspoons of chicken bouillon. If you use water, that would be 10 cups of water and 10 teaspoons of powdered bouillon. Hope this clarifies it for you.
I think I just found my new favorite soup! DELICIOUS!
This soup was so delicious and comforting. Chicken and parmesan just go so well together. Will be making this again!
Nice technique to have in my arsenal. Italian inspired similar to the old trick of throwing in a Parmesan rind to all number of things. I threw in a lime leave or two at the beginning and grated nutmeg at the end. Will make this again.
Served this on a rainy day recently, it was SO GOOD!
We are loving all of the comfort foods right now! Soup is top on our list! The flavors of this soup is so delicious!
Wonderful, easy recipe that the whole family loved!
I really love how creamy and comforting this is! Such a huge hit!
This takes the family favorite dish to a whole new level and is just such an amazing dish!