This creamy chicken and rice soup is a healthy dinner recipe you can have on the table quickly. Make it homemade on the stove or in the crock pot! It may be ultra creamy, but it's still dairy free and gluten free! Did I mention it's whole30 and paleo approved too?! In one bowl you can make a hearty, filling recipe your whole family will love.
If you're like me and love a good soup recipe in the winter, then this creamy chicken and rice soup is for you! There's nothing better than a big warm bowl on a snowy night. And isn't soup the best for leftovers? This is a game changer for your leftover lunch game.
My healthy chicken soup is one of the most popular recipes on WMM and I thought it was time to introduce you to that recipe's creamy, just as delicious counterpart: creamy chicken and rice soup.
What's in chicken and rice soup?
This healthy chicken and rice soup recipe is packed with vegetables and chicken. After cooking some veggies, you'll add the chicken and stock then add a few ingredients to make this recipe really thick and creamy. I try to buy organic veggies whenever I can!
Medium yellow onion: All good soup recipes start with onion!
Garlic: All good soup recipes start with a combo of onion + garlic!
Carrots: Peel and dice them into bit size pieces
Celery: Chop the leaves on the end off and cut a few stalks into bit size pieces.
Thyme: I love fresh thyme in my chicken soup!
Chicken or bone broth: You can use either but I love the bone broth because of it's gut healing capabilities!
Boneless skinless chicken breast: You'll place the raw chicken right in the soup and let it cook so it's moist and juicy!
Coconut cream: This is the solid cream part on the top of the coconut milk can. You can also buy coconut cream separately! You can find it at the grocery store in the baking aisle by the evaporated milk.
Tapioca starch: This is a paleo thickener that makes the soup really thick and creamy.
Cauliflower rice: this is like the "rice" in the recipe and what makes this recipe whole30 and paleo approved. If you just want the gluten free version you can use wild rice here instead. I like to buy my cauliflower already riced in the frozen aisle!
Frozen peas: I love this little veggie, especially in my chicken soup. If you aren't into peas you can totally leave it out!
I told you it was a lot of veggies! The majority of this recipe is filled with veggies and then it's packed with protein from the chicken and healing, coziness from the bone broth. I recommend making a double batch of this creamy chicken and rice soup and freezing half for another time!
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup FAQ:
How do you make soup creamy?
To make soup creamy, you typically need two things: a creamy fat-based ingredient and a thickener. Creamy soups typically start with a roux (mixture of butter and flour) and that's what makes them creamy. This creamy chicken and rice soup doesn't start with a roux but it does have a fat and thickener to make it creamy. We're using coconut cream and tapioca starch to give it that creamy texture!
What's the best way to make chicken and rice soup?
There are two really great ways to make chicken and rice soup! You can make it on the stove top or in the crock pot. If you're in a rush and you need dinner on the table quickly I recommend going with the stove top version. You can have this recipe on the table in under 45 minutes!
If you've got some time to prep and want to have dinner waiting and ready when you get home then opt for the crock pot version. I'll be giving instructions for both options in the recipe below!
Can you use basmati rice for chicken rice soup?
Yes! You can use basmati rice for chicken rice soup. You can really use any "rice" you like for this creamy soup recipe. If you just want a gluten free version, then basmati or wild rice are great options. If you want to stick to the paleo and whole30 version of this recipe then opt for the cauliflower rice.
How do you make creamy chicken and rice soup?
To make this creamy chicken and rice soup, start by sauteeing your onion, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme in the bottom of a large stock pot on medium heat. Once they're soft, add the chicken stock or bone broth then add the raw chicken breasts and salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board to shred. Once shredded, place back in the stock pot with coconut cream and tapioca starch. Stir for a few minutes until the soup starts to get thick and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
Once creamy, add the cauliflower rice and frozen peas and stir well, cooking until the frozen veggies are soft and warm. Serve in a big bowl with chopped parsley and extra thyme.
I've got a VIDEO below showing you exactly how to make this creamy chicken and rice soup!
I'm so excited to be sharing this recipe with you! We ate it for a week straight and loved every moment. We will be making it again soon and plan to make a double batch and freeze half so you have more whenever your ready.
How to freeze creamy chicken and rice soup:
Once you've made the recipe all the way through, all it to cool completely. You can speed up the cooling process by placing it in the fridge or putting it in an ice bath in the sink.
Once it's cool, label and date a gallon freezer bag. Add the soup name and the cooking instructions for the soup. This recipe will say, "thaw in the fridge overnight and heat over-medium high until warm." Ladel the cooled soup into the bag and seal, removing any excess air.
Lay the bag flat in the freezer and when it's completely frozen stack it however you'd like.
To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator then remove the soup from the bag then pour into a large pot and heat over medium-high or place in a bowl and heat in the microwave.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! If you do, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and tag me with @what_mollymade so I can see it and feature you!
More healthy soup recipes:
- The best healthy chicken soup recipe
- Low carb turkey vegetable soup
- Slow cooker paleo chili
- Healthy slow cooker chicken tortilla soup
Creamy chicken and rice soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 1 ½ cups carrots cut into bite size pieces
- 1 ½ cups celery cut into bite size pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups chicken bone broth or sugar free chicken broth
- 1 can full fat coconut cream solid from top of can or 1 cup coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 8 oz cauliflower rice
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas (omit for whole30)
- Chopped parsley or chives to garnish
Instructions
- Saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery and thyme in the bottom of a large stock pot over medium-heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Next, add the chicken stock or bone broth then add the raw chicken breasts and salt and pepper. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Once shredded, place chicken back in the stock pot then add the coconut cream and tapioca starch. Stir until the soup starts to get thick and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once creamy, add the cauliflower rice and frozen peas and stir well, cooking until the frozen veggies are soft and warm. Serve in a big bowl with chopped parsley and extra thyme.
Notes
Laura says
Make sure to whisk the tapioca flour with the milk before adding to the soup. Otherwise you get chunky gelatin chunks in your soup that will gross your husband out.
Kim Copeland says
What flour can I use instead of tapioca flour?
Molly Thompson says
Hey Kim! You could try arrowroot starch/flour or you can use cornstarch to thicken it.