Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup is a great bowl of comfort on a chilly day.
Everyone loves a good bowl of soup on a cold winter day. This Chicken and Rice Soup is thick and creamy, and it’s full of vegetables and plenty of chicken. The rice is added in to make it a complete meal. It’ll fill you up and keep you satisfied!
Random Story:
I grew up near Lake Tahoe for the 2nd half of my childhood life, and I lived there for 4 years of my adult life too. If you’ve never visited Lake Tahoe, you’re totally missing out. It’s perfectly lovely in the summer… gorgeous lake, unbelievable sunsets, mountain hikes, fresh mountain air, and cute cabins to rent all around the lake. In the winter it’s covered in a thick layer of snow. Skiers take over the towns and inhabit the many world-class ski resorts that Tahoe has to offer. It was fun living close to Tahoe. As a kid I rode the ski bus every Saturday in the winter for lessons at the nearest resort. In high school, I talked my way onto the ski team, where we had the privilege of leaving school at 11am every Wed for a half-day on the slopes, and then I skied on Saturdays and Sundays too. Skiing makes you tired- exhausted, in fact-and it makes you ravenously hungry. After a full day of skiing, you really want to down a bowl of hot soup like this Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
How to make Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup:
In a soup pot, veggies and garlic are sautéed in a little bit of olive oil. Broth and seasonings are added in, and all is simmered for about 15 minutes. Flour is mixed with evaporated milk, and that’s mixed into the soup with corn and peas. Chicken and rice are added in last.
And then you’ll have a pot of super creamy chicken and rice soup!
About evaporated milk:
People always ask if they can add in regular milk in place of evaporated milk. My answer is, “Why would you want to?!” Evaporated milk is wonderful when added to soup. It’s a more concentrated form of milk that gives it a creamy texture without adding too much fat. If you have to replace it with anything else, I recommend using half and half or heavy cream.
Back to my random story… of enjoying soup after a day of skiing:
Here’s what all of this crazy stuff means:
- French fries with mayonnaise: When I was in high school, I often skied with my friend Carrie. Every time we went to the lodge for lunch, she ordered french fries with mayonnaise. I never quite understood the appeal, but eating in a ski lodge always reminds me of that.
- Adam Ant: Back in high school, walkmans were popular (anyone remember what those were?!) My friend Pattie and I listened to Adam Ant on the slopes, often plugging our headphones into the same walkman as we were skiing down the mountain together. Crazy kids!
- Hot beverages on the mountain: There is absolutely nothing like drinking a hot chocolate with Baileys after you’ve skied the moguls all day long. Best thing ever.
- Hot blond, ski instructors: When I was younger (not now… of course!) my friends and I were always on the lookout for hot, blond ski instructors. There were always at least a few to chase down the mountain.
- Soup: The best-ever meal while spending a day on the slopes (or after) is soup. Warmth floating into your belly is just what you need when you’re defrosting.
This Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup is creamy, but not in a “heavy cream” sort of way. It’s completely hearty enough to fill a freezing belly in the winter. And it’s a healthy choice, so if you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post. Enjoy!
Here are a few more soup recipes you might like to try:
- Ham and Lentil Soup
- Creamy Mexican Turkey Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Split Pea Soup with Rosemary
- Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Egg Drop Soup
- Wild Rice Soup
- Sausage Potato Soup with Kale
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh green beans
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- Two 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
- ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- One 5-ounce can evaporated milk
- ½ cup frozen peas
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
- 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and green beans. Stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until slightly tender. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until smooth. Stir it into the soup along with the peas and corn. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the chicken and rice and heat through until the soup is creamy. If the soup thickens too much upon cooking or standing, it's okay to stir in a little extra chicken broth.
Notes
- If you're counting WW Points be sure to use 2% evaporated milk.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I grew up in Sacramento, so I know Tahoe and all of it’s glory so well. We used to grab In n Out or pizza on the way back down the hill after a day in the snow. Now I just would like a big bowl of this soup though. It is rainy today, here in Portland, so soup is needed. It looks amazingly good.
I still love french fries with mayo. Oh! And i also remember loving the hot blond ski instructors. Hmmmm… Forget Adam Ant, I seem to recall a Genesis concert
Ha! That doesn’t surprise me at all. Hope to see some of those hot blonds this week at Mammoth! Genesis concert = awesome, but Van Halen better!
I needed this soup this past week when I had a cold. This is total comfort food.
This soup looks like the perfect Michigan winter meal! Love your list…Adam Ant HA! blast from the past.
This sounds like the perfect comfort food after a day on the slopes!
Such a lovely warming bowl of soup.
PS I *always* have my french fries with mayo. I won’t order them if there isn’t any mayo available!
Perfect for these cold winter days
I love Lake Tahoe! I try to make it up there at least 3 times a year, it’s about a 3 hour drive for me. I’m not a skier, but if sking is how you described, I’m going this weekend! Sounds perfect, especially a male blond ski instructor! lol
our soup looks absolutely perfect!!! Love it!!
I didnt know you grew up near Tahoe. I love it up there. It’s so drop dead gorgeous. All of San Fran, Marin, Tahoe, that whole area is just stunning. Not that we have it too shabby here in San Diego but ykwim. And yes, skiing does make you sooooo hungry. This would be perfect after a day on the slopes!
This looks delicious! And yes to “hot, blonde ski instructors” —except they are usually picking me up from falling, or telling me that my helmet is too loose, or that my hair is all a mess. Sigh.