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.
Nothing comforts the soul like a big bowl of soup, especially on a cold day. Serve it up with some delicious bread and you’ve got the perfect lunch or dinner.
Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup
The ease of preparing this Chicken and Rice Soup is only outweighed by how good it tastes. The seasonings slowly cook into the chicken, vegetables, and broth making every bite delicious. This is a go-to dinner during busy fall and winter days. It’s truly a fix it and forget it meal. Plus, everyone in the family loves. I serve it with some crusty rolls, breadsticks, or my kids favorite, cornbread.
Health Benefits
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Chicken and Rice Soup are so good for the body and soul, especially when you are feeling under the weather. Studies show that Chicken Soup has properties that soothe 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 benefits. Dr. Oz posted an interesting article that gives more details about this called “You Wanted to Know: Chicken Soup.”
After learning this, I feel even better knowing the benefits of this meal! 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!
Seasonings for Chicken and Rice Soup
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/Canticle. It was released on their album, “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 represented comfort, sage represented strength, rosemary represented love, and thyme represented courage. You can read more about it on songfacts.com.
Is it 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!
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 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.
- If you want the rice to cook at the same rate as the raw 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. The meat, beans, and noodles make this soup a very hearty meal!
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It features a creamy broth base and lots of 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. Serve in individual bowls.
Equipment
- Crock Pot Slow Cooker
Notes
*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.
