Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is an easy slow cooker chicken soup recipe. All of the raw ingredients go in the slow cooker and a delicious soup awaits for dinner.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
Chicken Soup of any kind is so comforting, why is that? It really is good for the body and soul, especially when you are feeling a little under the weather. Studies have shown that Chicken Soup has anti-inflammatory properties that soothe irritating cold symptoms like coughs, sore throats, and runny noses. The other ingredients in the soup — carrots, celery, onions — also have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Oz posted an interesting article that gives more details about this called “You Wanted to Know: Chicken Soup.”
So Much Flavor
What I love most about this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup is the blend of seasonings. They give this soup just the right amount of flavor to complement the chicken and rice. Be sure to use seasonings that are still fresh. If they have been sitting in the pantry for over 6 months, they will not taste as vibrant. If I have a seasoning that is losing it’s flavor, I grind it a little between my fingers before adding it to the soup. This will bring out more of the taste and smell.
‘Season’ of Romance
Isn’t it romantic to use parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme all in one recipe? These seasonings complement each other so well. In case you haven’t guessed, I’m a big Simon and Garfunkel fan. My parents listened to their music when I was growing up and I still listen to it today. I love the song Scarborough Fair. It was released on an album with the title, “Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Scarborough is a town in England and in Medieval times there was a Fair there that lasted for 45 days! Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme represented virtues that are important to the lyrics of the song. Parsley was comfort, sage was strength, rosemary was love, and thyme was courage. You can read more about it on songfacts.com. If you love this blend of seasonings as much as I do, you’ve got to try them in our Cranberry Sausage Stuffing. It is so good!
After learning this, I feel even better knowing the benefits of this Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup! So many good things come from the chicken broth itself, and who doesn’t need comfort, strength, love, and courage? I hope all of this comes to you and more when you enjoy this delicious soup!
Is this Chicken and Rice Soup Gluten Free?
Yes! This is Chicken and Rice Soup can easily be made gluten free! Use a gluten free chicken broth, like Swanson’s Chicken Broth, and you are good to go!
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe Tips
- Use fresh seasonings, as mentioned above. Feel free to add more or less depending on your taste. I tend to use a little more because I love the taste of the seasonings in the soup — especially the sage and rosemary!
- If you want the rice to cook at the same rate as the chicken, be sure to use parboiled rice (also called converted rice). It cooks beautifully in the slow cooker. If you prefer brown or wild rice, prepare 1 cup uncooked rice according to the package directions and stir into the soup just before serving.
- If you are watching fat content, you can totally skip the butter. The butter gives a little more richness to the broth, but it is not necessary. The soup will taste just as good without it.
- This soup thickens when it cools. I love leftovers of this soup because the flavors really come out after it sits for a day or two, but it will be a thicker soup than when you eat it straight from the Slow Cooker. If you prefer a thinner soup, just add some water to it when re-heating to give it the consistency you desire.
- Serve this soup with a crusty bread or dinner roll. It is especially good with our Breadtwists!
More Slow Cooker Soups to Try
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup: This is one of the easiest soups you will ever make. A flavor-filled soup the entire family will love!
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
- Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
- Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup: Our version of the Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup tastes just like the original. It is an Italian seasoned soup easily made in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.
If you love chicken dishes, you have got to check out our Top 10 Best Chicken Recipes roundup. So many great ideas!
How to make Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat and cut in half
- 1 cup parboiled rice* (also called converted rice)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons butter, optional
- 9 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in order in a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- A few minutes before serving, remove the chicken from slow cooker and shred or cut into cubes.
- Return chicken to the slow cooker, and let it cook for 5-10 more minutes.
Alternate method
- *If you prefer brown rice or wild rice, leave the parboiled rice out of the slow cooker when adding the other ingredients. While the soup is cooking in the slow cooker, prepare 1 cup uncooked brown or wild rice according to the package directions (once cooked, this will yield approximately 3 cups of rice). Stir the cooked rice into the soup just before serving.
Recipe Video
Shirleen says
September 30, 2016 at 4:18 pmDisappointed, followed recipe exactly. Rice was just mush, not much flavour and too thick????
Susan says
October 2, 2016 at 12:42 pmShirleen, with ANY soup/stew that calls for rice or pasta, I cook it separately and NEVER had it into the soup/stew. I even store the leftovers separately. I’ll reheat enough of the soup/stew and rice/pasta for that meal. I don’t like the mushy, puffy texture of rice/pasta when it’s been sitting in broth too long. I’m going to try this but I’ll leave out the rice.
Brandy Elliott says
December 1, 2017 at 9:00 amI added the rice the last thirty minutes and it was perfect. Absolutely delicious. Actually the only other change I made was instead of regular butter I used Kerrygold Garlic and herb butter. The soup had a very earthy flavor. Even better the next day. I could have just drank the soup part and been good lol. It was delicious
Jessica Hernandez says
December 17, 2017 at 9:01 pmJust to clarify, you added uncooked rice or cooked rice for the last 30 minutes? I don’t want mush, but I also don’t want to go through the trouble of cooking the rice seperately. Thanks in advance!
Shelly says
January 28, 2018 at 9:53 pmI had to cook it for 5 hours on low. I took the chicken out at 4 hours to shred. I put the brown rice on two hours before it was done, then added the chicken back in. I also added extra onion, garlic, carrots & celery. The rice was perfectly cooked and it was very good.
Mary says
January 19, 2019 at 4:57 pmI add uncooked instant rice 30 minutes before eating and it is always perfect.
Jessica says
October 1, 2016 at 4:26 pmTasted good but rice was mushy and soaked up every ounce of liquid. Probably would been better IMO if I added cooked rice at the end.
Echo says
October 3, 2016 at 11:38 amThe rice does soak up the liquid as it cooks. Every slow cooker cooks differently, next time you can try cooking the rice for less time. I will make a note on the recipe. Thank you for letting me know!
Winnie says
February 25, 2018 at 1:41 pmI just made the same mistake. Maybe add “set aside” by the parboiled rice on the ingredient list. Or purchase it last and indicate to prepare ITV in the meantime, while the soup is cooking.
Haylie says
September 24, 2018 at 6:59 amI used a mix of white rice (cooked it first then added to pot) and orzo (also cooked first). It came out pretty good! The only thing is, I did not have sage or thyme in my home; and I thought that my soup was missing something. It still had good flavor though!
Cara says
December 9, 2018 at 9:41 amI made this soup twice and always added the rice 30 min before it was done. I agree with you… it soaked up all the broth and had to keep adding more broth. Next time I will cook the rice separate and then add it in!
Shirley says
October 2, 2016 at 4:56 pmFollowed the recipe exactly, but found the soup to be far too peppery, or perhaps it was the sage, because of the it was so thick added more broth,was disappointed as this was the first time I have every made chicken soup.
Echo says
October 3, 2016 at 12:04 pmI’m sorry you didn’t like the seasonings in this soup. The broth of this soup does thicken as it cools and adding more was the right thing to do.
Chrissy says
October 6, 2016 at 10:45 am(I read the reviews and kept them in mind while making).
Making this for dinner tonight. I used chicken breast tenders so they will cook faster than breasts. Hopefully, it will be done closer to the 4 hr mark and the rice will not be too mushy. I used white rice because it’s what I have on hand. If it is not seasoned enough I will just add more seasoning. Everyone has different tastes but I think this is a wonderful start for the soup. If it’s too thick i will add more water or broth. I feeling good about this! THANK YOU!
Jennifer Ridgel says
October 13, 2016 at 9:54 amHow was it?
Carol says
October 13, 2016 at 11:07 amThis is my recipe and I love it!! The only thing different is I add a couple of potatoes, cubed, if I have on hand and I usually add a can of diced tomatoes, undrained, for color.Perfect soup and thanks for posting, it will be dinner tomorrow night!!!
Bonnie says
October 16, 2016 at 8:02 pmI just made this and it really hit the spot since both me and my husband have a cold. Started it on high at 2, and around 6 added the rice. Another 45 minutes and the rice was done to perfection. I added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary from the garden and it was amazing. Perfect amount of spices.
Erica says
October 17, 2016 at 5:29 pmSo glad this worked out for you! Great idea adding the rice later on. We will have to add this to the recipe, thanks!
Anna says
October 17, 2016 at 3:31 pmAfter reading some of the comments I’ve decided to add the rice maybe during the last 2 hours. Do you think that would work?
Erica says
October 17, 2016 at 5:24 pmYes, that would probably be just fine. If you try it let us know how it turns out!
Anna says
October 17, 2016 at 3:32 pmDo you think that it would work if I added the rice during the last 2 hours?
Erica says
October 17, 2016 at 5:24 pmYes, that should probably be just fine. 🙂
Shawna says
October 18, 2016 at 4:54 pmWe had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I added the cooked rice near the end and it didn’t get mushy. My kids actually had seconds and said it tasted great!
Danielle says
October 27, 2016 at 7:19 amRecipe says 6 hours cook time but instructions say cook on low 4 hours. Could you clarify, please. Thanks! 🙂
Echo says
October 27, 2016 at 9:21 amThank you for catching that! I’ll correct it. You can cook on low for 4-6 hours. The chicken will be cooked after 4 hours, the rice may take longer depending on how you like it cooked. If you want it to be softer, you will want to cook it longer.
Cory says
December 28, 2018 at 9:55 pmChicken isn’t cooked after 4 hours, it won’t shred. Also carrots are still very hard. How disappointing.
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 29, 2018 at 5:38 pmI’ve make this often and I have not had this problem. The only thing I can think of is the low setting on your crock pot is not heating up to 200 degrees. Crock pot temperatures do vary. I’m so sorry this did not turn out for you.
Terry says
November 6, 2016 at 7:05 amI cooked it on low for 4 hours and the carrots were not at all cooked through… are you sure it shouldn’t be cook on high 4 hours?
Echo says
November 8, 2016 at 9:51 pmThank you for your question, Terry. I am going to revisit this recipe. I use an older crock pot when I make this soup and it may be cooking on the hot side. I’m going to try it in a newer crock pot to see if I need to make some adjustments.
Meg says
November 12, 2017 at 5:34 pmMy carrots are still hard too after 4 hours on low.
Carleigh says
November 13, 2016 at 9:58 amI’m confused on the amount of rice to put in – the ingredient list says 1 cup but then it also later says 2-3 cups? If I am putting my rice directly in the crockpot to cook, which amount do I use?
Please help! I am cooking this as we speak!
Echo says
November 14, 2016 at 7:56 amCarleigh, if you are cooking the rice with the soup, you add 1 cup uncooked brown rice. If you add the rice already cooked, you will add 2-3 cups depending on how much rice you want in the soup. Please let me know how it turned out for you.
Iman says
November 13, 2016 at 12:08 pmTrying this tomorrow. I’ll be adding my rice 45 min before that rest is complete. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.
Randy says
November 20, 2016 at 4:03 pmI don’t know why there are so many complaints about the rice. I followed the directions exactly. Put the rice in at the beginning and cooked on low for 6 hours. Rice was perfect consistency. Enjoyable recipe!
Echo says
November 21, 2016 at 7:33 amHi Randy, Thank you so much for sharing this! I’m so glad this recipe was a success for you!
Angie says
December 2, 2016 at 5:57 amMade this last night & it turned out wonderfully. Doubled the recipe, but only used 5 large chicken breasts and 16 cups of chicken broth. Had some salted butter, and threw that in a saute pan with the onions and garlic and sweated those down for a bit before adding to the crockpot. Added some fresh springs of thyme, rosemary and sage as well, since I had them in my garden. In addition, I added a ginger root about the size of my pinky (hey, I have a cold). Started out on the Low setting on my crockpot, but a little over 2 hours in it didn’t seem to be coming along at the pace I would have liked (I think my crock pot cooks on the cool side), so bumped it up to the high setting for the last 3 hours. 2 hours prior to serving, I threw the brown rice in. It turned out perfect. One of my friends even said it was the best chicken soup she had ever had! Thanks for sharing!
Emily says
December 2, 2016 at 10:50 pmThank you for you kind comment! So glad you liked it!!
Crystal says
December 7, 2016 at 6:46 pmI tried this recipe out last week for the first time.. so delicious!! Thank you for sharing! I’m making it again tonight, my family loved it! New staple! After reading the comments I made a couple tweaks to the original recipe.
6 bone in thighs.. first browning the skin on medium high on stove, then adding them into the cockpot then removing them the last half hour and shredding then adding back into soup to cook the last 30 mins..
4 carrots and 4 celery stocks, chopped.
Used 1tbsp fresh rosemary and 1tbsp fresh sage, with 1/2 tsp ground thyme.
Half vegetable and half chicken stock (equaling 9 cups total), not broth.
Added 1 cup long grain brown rice two hours into cooking.
And a little bit extra minced garlic 🙂
Cooked on high for 4 hrs.. I have a newer crockpot..
Great success.. thank you again!! <3
Echo says
December 9, 2016 at 10:08 amThank you, Crystal! I like your adaptations to this recipe, especially using bone in thighs. The meat is more tender and it gives more chicken flavor to the soup. Great idea!
Ruthie says
December 12, 2016 at 3:24 amLoved your recipe! I too am a BIG fan of the P-S-R-T combo. I used wild rice as that is what We prefer and added it during the last two hours because we like our wild rice in the chewy side. I did start with a couple extra cups of broth because wild rice is so absorbent and we like our soup in the brothy side. Added in a couple twigs of rosemary and thyme from my herb garden an hour before serving. Was expecting leftovers- there weren’t any… Thankyou for the great recipe!
Echo says
December 12, 2016 at 9:56 amThank you for your comment Ruthie! Using wild rice is a great idea – and using fresh herbs always adds so much flavor. I love it!
Jacqueline says
December 30, 2016 at 10:57 amIn the crockpot as I speak followed the recipe as written gonna add cooked rice at the end of cook time ,will let you know how it turns out.
Jen says
January 17, 2017 at 8:36 pmSo interesting that other had issues with mushy rice. I put the rice in right at the beginning and after 4 hours on high the rice is mostly uncooked. Maybe a rice issue or maybe my crock pot is on the cooler side. I’m going to leave it on high for another 2 hours but will need to find something else for dinner tonight.
Krystale says
January 20, 2017 at 6:44 amAwesome recipe. Yes the rice soaks up the liquid but we like it thicker. MY only advice is make sure to use low sodium stock if your using store bought. I forgot to take that into account when adding salt to the soup and mine came out very salty. But I’m just going to add more water which will hopefully help with the salt and thickness from the rice. Love the spices and simplicity of this crockpot recipe. Thank you for sharing. FYI, my crockpot took 4 hrs on high 🙂
Becky says
February 10, 2017 at 3:31 amI want to add frozen corn to recipe. Do you think I should add from the start or towards the end?
Echo says
February 13, 2017 at 3:47 pmGreat idea! I would add it the last hour of cooking. Thanks for asking!
Sarah says
February 12, 2017 at 4:34 pmThanks for the great recipe! Made it and loved it! I cooked on low for just over 5 hours. Shredded the chicken at 4. I should have chopped the carrots smaller as they weren’t as soft as I’d like. I sautéed 3/4 of the onion and 2 garlic cloves prior to adding to crockpot. I used basmati rice and you’re supposed to soak it prior to cooking so that helps take off starch. I didn’t have issues with the rice getting overly soft. But I like it soft too so I did add it at the beginning. Great flavour too! Will make again by I think I’ll do chicken things and breasts.
Echo says
February 13, 2017 at 3:50 pmThank you for sharing, Sarah. I’m so glad you liked it!
Deb says
March 2, 2017 at 2:06 amI made this soup on the weekend, boy is it good. I never comment on a recipe however for this one I thought I should give you guys a 10/10 from Australia.
Erica says
March 6, 2017 at 11:34 amHi Deb– thank you so much for your comment! Glad you liked this soup– a 10/10! That is a huge compliment, thank you!!
Phyllisann says
March 11, 2017 at 7:19 pmI Made this soup today, followed recipe, but added cooked rice in at the end. It was delicious. My husband loved it. Thumbs up 🙂 Thank you for sharing.
Sara says
March 26, 2017 at 5:25 pmI made this soup today and added white rice at the two hour mark, by the four hour mark the rice was still completely uncooked. Wondering if the rice would’ve cooked faster if I changed the settings to high?
Lauren lewis says
March 28, 2017 at 1:12 pmLoved this recipe! My rice was def mushy, but you warned us! May I site you in a post I’m doing for http://www.the-playground-chronicles.com?
Echo says
March 30, 2017 at 9:47 amYes, of course! We appreciate you asking!
Randi says
April 3, 2017 at 6:07 pmWe didn’t have issues with mushy rice. Our rice and vegetables were completely uncooked! So, now we’re having to find something else for dinner at 6:00 in the evening… We’ve changed the setting to high, will let it continue to cook, and maybe eat it tomorrow.
Brittany says
May 15, 2017 at 6:03 pmWould this recipe work with some sort of pasta noodle too?
Echo says
May 23, 2017 at 6:49 pmAbsolutely! It would work great with pasta. Stir the pasta into the soup 1 hour before serving. It will cook and be ready the same time the rest of the soup is ready. Thanks for asking!
Rebecca says
August 3, 2017 at 3:00 pmI want to make this as a freezer prep meal to save for later. Should I make it in the crock pot first then throw it in the freezer, or throw all uncooked ingredients into a freezer bag, freeze, then pull it out at a later date to put into the crock pot to cook??
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 4, 2017 at 9:31 amHmmm we have never made it that way before. I am guessing you could throw it all in uncooked. I think if it were me, I would add all the ingredients EXCEPT the rice into the freezer and then when ready to cook, thaw, and put the rice in last. Does that make sense? Hope this helps!
Stacy F says
August 13, 2017 at 6:12 amIf I’m going to use white rice, how should I adapt the recipe?
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 18, 2017 at 9:08 amYou can add cooked white rice at the very end. You can also add uncooked the white rice an hour or two so before serving.
Laura says
September 4, 2017 at 9:05 pmCan I add potatoes to this recipe and it still taste great? I’m craving a chicken and potato soup but saw this and fell right in love!
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 5, 2017 at 2:29 pmSure! When you should add the potatoes would depend on how big you cut them. I am sure it would still be great. Give it s try and let us know how it turns out!
Karen Hillman says
September 4, 2017 at 9:46 pmI MADE THIS TONIGHT FOR TOMORROW FOR DINNER IN MY 6 QT CROCKPOT AND WITH ALL THE INGREDIENTS; EXCEPT FOR THYME IT FILLED MY CROCK TO THE TOP. I ADDED MY WHITE RICE AT THE VERY END OF COOKING AND IT TURNED OUT PERFECT. IT NEEDED A TAD BIT MORE SALT BUT THAT’S IT. NO BUTTER OR MARGARINE ADDED. SIMPLY DELICIOUS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE, I WILL DEFINITELY MAKE THIS AGAIN.
Karen Hillman says
September 4, 2017 at 9:54 pmI ALSO USED KNORRS TOMATO BOUILLON W/CHICKEN FLAVOR…..9 TSP TO 9 CUPS OF WATER, INSTEAD OF CHICKEN BROTH/STOCK.
Denise says
September 11, 2017 at 9:27 amI put the rice in at the very beginning but found it way too firm so I cooked it one and a half hours longer. Still too firm. I followed the recipe exactly. I will have to cook it longer yet in a stock pot. The flavour was good though.
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 12, 2017 at 5:31 pmI think rice is really hard to cook in the slow cooker. Slow cookers cook at different temperatures and it’s hard to judge. We’ve had comments like yours saying the rice doesn’t cook and others say it overcooks. I think the safest bet with this recipe, unless you have used your slow cooker for rice in the past and know it will cook it, is to mix in already cooked rice at the end. I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out in time.
Stephanie Guilherme says
September 19, 2017 at 5:02 pmMy rice also came out firm. I put it back on for a while. My son is eating it. Smells great. I will try it once it cooks a little while longer
Deborah says
September 20, 2017 at 4:01 pmI made this tonight and I’m guessing, crockpots are different. I followed the recipe to the letter, but when I got home, the carrots were still a little hard and the rice was not cooked at all. I put it on high for another 2 hours, since I have to leave to go to Bible Study. I’m hoping when I return, it will be ready.
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 25, 2017 at 5:46 pmLet us know how it turned out! Hope it turned out well for you!
Christine Travis says
January 23, 2018 at 12:24 pmmy rice never cooked up either, the broth had a lot of flavor, was looking for a soup recipe that be made in the crock pot…. May have to cook the rice separately…
claudia says
September 21, 2017 at 7:20 amI am making this recipe today. I hope it all comes out nicely. dumb me went by the picture and added the rice with all ingredients. dumped and wasted all my chicken broth dummy once again! removed all rice i could and put ingredients back in crockpot to cook. reseasoned and all. i made a terrible mess! Thank you for the recipe. I will give review once done!
Jane Sewell says
September 23, 2017 at 11:58 amI’m wondering if the problem folks are having with the rice is that they’re using minutes rice instead of long cooking rice as some say it’s mushy and some say it’s perfect. Haven’t tried this yet but definitely going to…love soups for the fall and winter months.
Mari Dempsey says
September 26, 2017 at 11:31 pmWe just made this on the stovetop, 1 1/2 x the recipe to feed our hungry crew and to have leftovers. Cooked the rice separately. It was delicious–loved the herbs!
Anthony says
November 11, 2017 at 11:57 pmThis is not a soup by conventional standards. The recipe as-is will be very thick, more closely resembling stew. But it is very good!
Jenny says
November 18, 2017 at 7:15 pmHello! I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m thinking about using cooked quinoa at the end. Do you think this will work as I have a rice sensitivity? Thank you!
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 18, 2017 at 10:21 pmThat should work just fine– would probably be delicious! Let us know how it turns out!
alliek says
November 22, 2017 at 4:58 pmLOVE made it a few times, making it again today
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 23, 2017 at 12:26 amThank you for sharing! I’m so glad you love it! 🙂
Laurie says
November 26, 2017 at 10:13 amWhat about using dried herbs. Use the amount you say in the recipe? Want to make this today. Thank you for sharing..
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 28, 2017 at 6:13 pmAll of the measurements are actually for dried herbs. So exact measurements would be perfect. Hope this helps!
Erin says
November 27, 2017 at 1:39 pmThe link for the vegetable beef soup takes me to the chicken recipe. Could share a link for the beef soup? Thank you! ????
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 28, 2017 at 6:09 pmWhoops! Good catch! Got it fixed. It will now send you to the correct recipe 🙂 Sorry about that!
Erin says
December 4, 2017 at 7:56 pmThis was my first time making chicken soup and it was delicious!!! I made the wild rice separately and stored my leftover soup and rice in separate containers. I will definetly make this again! So so yummy!!!
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 5, 2017 at 2:06 pmSo glad you liked it! 😀
Mary says
December 6, 2017 at 5:03 amI think the age of the crockpot might have something to do with how well the soup turns out. I just got a new crockpot and it seems to not be as hot as my old ones. After four hours, the carrots were still hard and the brown rice (which I had added at two hours) was uncooked. We still ate it and despite crunchy carrots and hard rice my not-overly-picky family loved the soup! Next time I will probably cook it on high for the first 2 hours and add cooked rice at the end as others have noted. I do think that some of the problems others have experienced probably have more to do with the crockpot than the recipe. I thought the seasoning was perfect!
Lisa says
December 6, 2017 at 7:49 pmCan I use frozen chicken and let it cook more like 8 hours while I’m at work?
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 9, 2017 at 11:15 pmYes! Frozen chicken will work just fine in this recipe.
Gail Egburtson says
December 8, 2017 at 10:29 amThis looks fabulous .. I am going to use cauliflower rice in place of the regular rice… Can’t wait to make it…
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 9, 2017 at 11:11 pmGreat idea! I think the cauliflower rice will work really well in this recipe. Enjoy!
Amanda says
December 10, 2017 at 4:20 pmThis soup is absolutely fantastic!! My whole family loved it!! The only change I made was omitting the rosemary and celery (personal preference) I followed the directions and had no issues at all!!!
Kiara says
December 11, 2017 at 12:50 pmI tried this receipe last night for lunch throughout the week. It’s delicious! I got really nervous adding the rice while it was cooking. So I cooked the rice separately and just stirred it in after the the soup was done cooking. Awesome recipe! Thanks!
Lindsey says
December 12, 2017 at 6:44 amI don’t have thyme or sage. Should I still just use the rosemary and parsley?
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 13, 2017 at 2:50 pmYes, you may want to add extra of the rosemary and parsley to give it more flavor. The soup will still taste great!
Bria says
December 19, 2017 at 5:32 pmCooked the rice separate to avoid the mushy issue people apparently had and added cayenne, all spice, cumin and seasoned salt along with regular salt to the broth mixture. Came out super good!
Bernadette says
December 29, 2017 at 7:11 pmCan u freeze the soup with the rice in it?
Favorite Family Recipes says
January 2, 2018 at 1:56 pmWe haven’t tried freezing it before. My only concern is that the rice will get mushy. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Cara says
January 7, 2018 at 3:29 pmVery disapointed. This was my first time making chicken soup and embarrassed to serve it to my husband. When you see the pic, the broth looks yellow. I followed the exact directions and mine is clear.
Favorite Family Recipes says
January 8, 2018 at 1:33 pmWe are so sorry this didn’t work out for you. What kind of rice did you use?
Christine says
January 22, 2018 at 10:57 amI followed the recipe, i used long grain rice added in the beginning….. rice never absorbed any liquid…..broth is clear, the chicken was dry but it had flavor….. what can i do, i have had chicken and rice soup before and i love it and would love to be able to make it…..
sylvia schartner says
January 12, 2018 at 3:02 pmjust made this today. based on the reviews I added my cooked rice at the end. it is a family hit. i think i will try the cauliflower rice next time. and i will use low sodium chicken broth next time too.
Christine Travis says
January 23, 2018 at 11:20 amI made this on Sunday, follow the recipe, used long grain rice, the rice never cooked, the broth had flavor, but the rice never cooked. I cooked this on low for 4 hours, the chicken breast was somewhat dry….. what can i do different. I added the rice in the beginning….. with everything else…. the broth was more clear and never thicken…..
Favorite Family Recipes says
January 24, 2018 at 8:56 pmI don’t know if it is the difference in slow cookers or the type of rice used. I would recommend making the rice separately and adding it to the slow cooker before serving. I’ve never had a problem with the chicken becoming dry when cooking it in the slow cooker. If your slow cooker cooks on the hotter side, reduce cooking time to 3 hours.
Christine says
January 27, 2018 at 2:01 pmty will try again tomorrow
Kay says
February 11, 2018 at 4:40 pmStill waiting on the soup, the vegetables are still hard and the rice is not cooked. I wonder if the issue with the mushy rice is due to using white rice instead of brown rice? I added the rice part way through cooking to keep it from turning to mush as some had suggested but now it’s not done. Cranking it up on the stovetop now to see if that’ll make a difference. I think next time I’ll saute the vegetables first and cook the rice separately. Smells great though.
Julia Healey says
March 7, 2018 at 11:06 amIf I have to only make half the servings do i cut all the ingredient amounts in half and cooking time in half? Will this freeze well?
Favorite Family Recipes says
March 14, 2018 at 12:15 pmYou can cut the recipe in half but the cooking time should be close to the same, maybe only slightly less. We haven’t tried freezing this recipe before but you should be able to without any issues. Hope this helps!
BK says
April 10, 2018 at 5:12 pmMade this recipe over the weekend and just had tonight for dinner – very good! Based in some of the comments of it being too salty I only put in 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and thought that was enough. I used the parboiled rice and put it in from start and didn’t find it to be mushy at all. After 4 hours the chicken was done but the veggies were still a little hard so I just let it cook a little longer. Will definitely make again!
MK says
April 18, 2018 at 4:18 pmPerhaps I’m techie challenged, but how do I go about printing only this recipe; not the intro or comments?
Favorite Family Recipes says
April 18, 2018 at 8:53 pmOn the recipe card itself there is a grey “print” button. That should print it without printing the whole blog post. Email us if you can’t find it and I will try to help you through it better if I can! – Erica
Sydney says
April 25, 2018 at 5:22 amIf using the rice that the recipe calls for when do you add it to the crockpot? The directions say place everything in crockpot except rice then never specifies when to add the rice? If using the parboiled rice do you cook it separately before or cook in the crockpot?
Favorite Family Recipes says
April 25, 2018 at 4:02 pmIf you use the parboiled rice, you can add it at the beginning with all of the other ingredients. If you are using brown or white rice, Cook it separately and add it just before serving. I’ll try to make it more clear on the recipe. Thank you for asking!
Sydney says
April 25, 2018 at 4:34 pmThank you!!
Colleen says
June 7, 2018 at 3:36 pmDoes this freeze well?
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 8, 2018 at 8:51 amWe have never frozen this before so we can’t say for sure. If you try it, let us know how it turns out for you!
Fred Boyd says
June 13, 2018 at 11:20 amThis is the first time I have ever made a homemade soup,the wife and I really loved it so much that I have made it twice in two weeks, it so delicious thanks-Frederick
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 14, 2018 at 9:05 amThank you so much for your kind review! I’m so glad that you liked it!!
Beth says
September 10, 2018 at 6:39 pmThis recipe doesn’t make any sense because in the “traditional” method it says to add everything except the rice. There is no instruction to cook rice separately, it’s just assumed or you have to read the comments. People that aren’t specific in their recipes and instructions cause other people to waste their time and money trying to make said recipe. I was excited to try this until I saw how lacking the instructions are.
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 13, 2018 at 12:38 pmBeth, thank you for pointing out the confusion with this recipe. I have made some revisions to the instructions, and hopefully it is more clear now. I appreciate your willingness to share your frustration so that we could correct the problem. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this caused you.
haylie says
September 24, 2018 at 7:03 amI loved how easy this recipe was! I did some of my own modification per my preference, but otherwise followed the recipe provided. I just wish that there was nutrition facts listed. Thanks for the great idea!
Favorite Family Recipes says
September 24, 2018 at 10:27 amHi Haylie– So glad you liked this recipe! We are working on getting nutrition facts on our recipes but with over 1,000 recipes it might take a little while. Hopefully all of our recipes are easy to plug into recipe nutrition calculators. You should be able to get the nutrition facts right away using a tool like Livestrong or any other recipe calculator. Hope this helps!
RLSCM says
October 24, 2018 at 11:01 amOur family really loved the flavours in this recipe. Planned to add rice separately at the end of cooking time but forgot to set the clock for the timer on the rice cooker. For a quick solution, I made some penne and added that instead. I also didn’t have chicken on hand so I dumped in some frozen ground turkey. Cooked on low for almost 9 hours, stirring half way through (to break up the ground turkey). I will definitely make this again. I might try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs next time.
RLSCM says
October 24, 2018 at 11:04 amWe really loved the flavours in this recipe. Planned to add rice separately at the end of cooking time but forgot to set the clock for the timer on the rice cooker. For a quick solution, I made some penne and added that instead. I also didn’t have chicken on hand so I dumped in some frozen ground turkey. Cooked on low for almost 9 hours, stirring half way through (to break up the ground turkey). I will definitely make this again. I might try using boneless, skinless chicken thighs next time.
Favorite Family Recipes says
October 25, 2018 at 5:07 pmThank you so much for sharing how you made this recipe a success! Sounds like delicious substitutions! Good to know that pasta will work well in it also. Thanks for the 5-stars!
Abi Lene says
November 8, 2018 at 6:26 amThe song by Simon and Garfield is Scarborough Fair/Canticle. It isn’t Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. That is a phrase from the song. Just saying.
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 8, 2018 at 8:40 pmRight, the name of the song is Scarborough Fair/Canticle, but the album title is Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!
Heather Pfalzer says
November 12, 2018 at 7:42 pmI’ve made this recipe before and it was a huge hit! Last time I used rubbed sage, but it ran out. My husband accidentally bought ground sage. Should I still do the 1/2 tsp or do I use less? I tried to google it, but every cite had different suggestions. Since it’s your recipe what do you suggest? Thanks for sharing your story and this delicious soup.
Favorite Family Recipes says
November 12, 2018 at 9:02 pmYou can use the same amount (1/2 tsp) and it should be fine! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for the 5-star rating!!
Kimmy Garcia says
November 23, 2018 at 9:09 pmI was craving for soup and I have come across this on Pinterest. It looked easy to make and viola! I have a soup now! Tastes great!
Lana says
December 3, 2018 at 8:19 amCan you use chicken drumsticks instead of chicken breast?
Favorite Family Recipes says
December 3, 2018 at 8:37 pmI guess you could if you wanted to remove the drumsticks once they are cooked, and then shred the chicken off of the bone and put the chicken only back in the soup. Be careful not to leave any bone in the soup. Thanks for asking!
Lana says
December 4, 2018 at 8:21 amThank you. Would it be still the same cooking time though?
Casey says
January 9, 2019 at 3:59 pmThis recipe was extremely salty and the thyme was overwhelmingly strong! We ended up draining all the liquid and made a cream base liquid to help balance the herb taste to try to salvage it.
Favorite Family Recipes says
January 11, 2019 at 4:53 pmSorry this didn’t work out for you!