If you are looking for a cozy, homemade chicken and rice soup with rich flavor, my version made with roasted chicken thighs is a must-try. While the chicken roasts in the oven, you can prepare the base on the stove-top, making this recipe simple and perfect for a comforting dinner on a busy night.
Just like my chicken noodle soup, this recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, nothing fancy. Making a batch of fresh soup at least twice a week has always been a part of my routine, I guess it's Eastern-European thing. I love it, because soup is a complete meal, customizable, comforting, and it simply makes me happy to serve my family a bowl of homemade goodness.
What goes in
For the full list of ingredients with quantities, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.
For this soup recipe, you will need boneless, skinless chicken thighs (you can also use other chicken parts), carrots, onions, celery, chicken broth ( or water plus Better Than Bouillon base), salt, seasonings, and lemon.
You can use store-bought chicken broth or homemade broth. I often make my own using whole chicken or chicken thighs, and keep it in the freezer for my weekly soups.
If you have any fresh herbs at home, like rosemary, thyme, add them to the soup as well.
How to make chicken and rice soup
Step 1 - Roast chicken thighs. Drizzle chicken thighs with olive oil and season with salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Roast chicken thighs at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. When the chicken is cooked, let it cool down and dice or shred it for the soup.
Step 2 - Prepare the ingredients. Dice the onion into small pieces. Chop carrots and celery. Rinse the rise under cold water.
Step 3- Saute the vegetables. In a large pot, add ghee, butter, or olive oil. Add diced onions, chopped carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 3–4 minutes until the vegetables soften but don’t brown. Add the rinsed rice to the pot and sauté for another 2 minutes with the vegetables.
Step 4 - Add chicken broth and simmer. Pour chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Stir well to ensure the rice does not get stuck to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover halfway the pot, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes or until the rice is almost fully cooked.
Step 5. Add roasted chicken thighs and lemon juice. Add diced or shredded chicken and lemon juice. Let the soup simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Taste the soup and add more salt if needed. Take the soup off the heat. Pour it into the bowls and enjoy.
Recipe tips and tricks
- If you are making this soup ahead of time, cook and store the rice separately. Then, add it to each bowl when serving.
- You can use any leftover chicken; my roasted chicken in oven bag is a perfect candidate for it.
- Use a lot sodium broth, so you can control the amount of salt to your liking.
- You can greens or other vegetables at the end, such as kale, spinach or even corn.
More soups to try
- Lentil and vegetables soup - recipe without tomatoes.
- Green borscht - soup with sorrel and or spinach.
- Chicken meatballs soup - made with orzo pasta.
- Carrot and ginger soup - creamy and flavorful.
📖 Recipe
Chicken and Rice Soup with Roasted Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 large pot
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
Roasted chicken thighs ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Chicken and rice soup ingredients
- 4-6 cups low sodium chicken broth*
- ¼ cup rinsed rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee butter or olive oil
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery rib, chopped
- ¼ yellow onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or more to taste
Instructions
Roasted chicken thighs
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking pan with parchment paper. Place 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs on top in a single layer. Drizzle chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder,and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to coat the chicken.
- Roast chicken thighs for about 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Let it cool down slightly, then chop or shred cooked chicken and set aside.
Chicken and rice soup
- In your soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery and diced onion. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables soften. Add ¼ cup rinsed rice and saute it with vegetables for another 2 minutes.
- Pour 4-6 cups low sodium chicken broth* in to the pot. Bring it to a boil, cover half way with the lid, turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 12 minutes or until the rice is just almost done. Quick tip: If you to enjoy the soup the next day, I recommend cooking the rice separately and adding it to each bowl when serving.
- Add diced or shredded cooked chicken and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Taste the soup and add more salt, pepper or lemon if needed. Pour into the bowls and enjoy.
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