This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

chicken and rice soup with brown rice, sweet potatoes, and kale.

This Chicken and Rice Soup is like a warm hug in a bowl when the cooler weather rolls in. It’s filled with hearty ingredients like tender chicken, vegetables, and brown rice all simmered in healthy bone broth. This soup can be made three ways – on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in an instant pot – all creating an easy, cozy meal for fall!

chicken and rice soup with brown rice, kale, and sweet potatoes.
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Table of Contents

Chicken and Rice Soup

This is the kind of hearty, nourishing soup you’ll want to keep on repeat all season long. It’s packed with tender chicken, brown rice, sweet potatoes, colorful vegetables, and greens. Every bowl is satisfying, naturally high in protein and fiber, and full of real, comforting flavor.

What makes it even better? You can make it three ways: on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot, depending on the kind of day you’re having. It is simple enough for a busy weeknight, makes a generous batch for meal prep, and tastes even *more* delicious the next day; just add a splash of broth when reheating, since the rice will continue to soak up the liquid. 

Cozy, filling, and made with ingredients you can feel really great about serving your family.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Perfect for a make ahead lunch or an easy weeknight dinner, here are a few more reasons your going to love this delicious chicken rice soup:

  • Twist On A Classic:  This chicken rice soup is a twist on a classic and perfect for warming up a cool evening, helping you getting over a cold or the flu, or as an easy weeknight meal. The brown rice, sweet potatoes and kale all add healthy nutritional benefits.
  • High Protein: This soup contains 36 grams of protein per serving to help keep you feeling satisfied longer.
  • Three Cooking Methods:  Our chicken and rice soup is ready in just 60 minutes or less when you cook it on the stovetop for an easy weeknight dinner. OR set it and forget it in the crockpot for an easy meal that’s ready when you walk in the door.  But my absolute favorite method is using the Instant Pot in a pinch!  This method allows you to make this cozy soup in about 30 minutes, while making it taste like it’s been simmering for hours!
  • Meal Prep Friendly:  Make this chicken soup ahead of time and use it as a light meal prep lunch throughout the week.
  • Dairy and Gluten Free:  Not only is this soup full of healthy ingredients like lean chicken and fiber rich brown rice, but it also contains no dairy or gluten.
  • Easy, One-Pot Recipe:  Everything goes in one pot for easy cleanup.

Don’t you just love how soup can make you feel full and relaxed all at the same time? That’s why I love all of our CFC soups like this chicken and cauliflower rice soup if you need less carbs, and our lemony chicken rice soup for something bright and flavorful in the spring.

Brown Rice Vs. White Rice

Chicken and rice soup is such a classic comfort food that’s typically made with white rice.  So why did we use brown rice instead of white?

White and brown rice can be used interchangeably in most recipes and they have the same amount of calories per serving.  But that’s about the end of where they are similar.

Unlike white rice, brown rice still has the germ (or outside coating) on it, meaning the brown rice provides extra nutrients that white rice can’t…like fiber, magnesium, and B vitamins!  So when given the opportunity, it’s brown rice for the nutritional win!  

Brown rice also has a lower glycemic index meaning your body digests it slower, keeping your blood sugar steady throughout the day, and you’ll feel fuller longer!  It’s a win all around!!!

ingredients to make chicken and brown rice soup.

Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients that make this Chicken and Brown Rice Soup recipe perfect for light meal prep lunches and dinners on a chilly day.

Chicken:  To keep the calories a bit lower but still fill up on healthy protein we used chicken breasts that we cut into large chunks for quick, easy cooking. 

Rice: We prefer brown rice in this chicken soup since it’s a complex carbohydrate that has a low glycemic index and high fiber content meaning you digest it slower while it also provides plenty of nourishing vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables:  We used a classic mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onion, along with garlic and oregano as part of the aromatics.  Then to add even more nutrition and fiber, we added cubed sweet potatoes and kale.  Read more about how healthy sweet potatoes are here.

Fat:  We chose ghee for this recipe since it adds a bit more flavor to the sauteed chicken and therefore the soup, but avocado or olive oil would work just as well.

Bone Broth:  When possible, we recommend using bone broth for the added nutrition and protein it lends to this soup.  Store bought is fine, or try making your own homemade bone broth in the crockpot.

Spices:  Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory that can aid in healing and help you get over a cold or the flu faster.  

See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.

Variations And Substitutions

  • Instead of chicken breast you can use chicken thighs, or even ground chicken.
  • A good brown rice swap is quinoa or wild rice.  You can also use cauliflower rice here if you’re watching your carbs.
  • I use a classic mirepoix (sweet onion, carrots, celery), but have found that in a pinch you could use any of these other veggies like red onion, shallots, red peppers, green peppers, or scallions if you don’t have one of the mirepoix ingredients.
  • The bone broth can be swapped for regular chicken broth or vegetable broth.
  • Make this chicken soup recipe your own by using herbs you love, like thyme, rosemary, or bay leaf.

How to make Chicken and Rice Soup

Stove Top Instructions:

Step 1. Heat your ghee in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Step 2. Next add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 3. Once the vegetables have softened, stir in your minced garlic, oregano, turmeric, and chili flakes for 30 seconds. 

Step 4. Next add in your cubed sweet potatoes, and rinsed rice. Pour in the bone broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and simmer over low heat, covered, for 35-45 minutes, or just until the rice is tender.

Step 5. Bring your soup to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for 30-40 minutes, or until the rice is tender. 

Step 6. Remove the bay leaves. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

  1. Lightly grease a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with the ghee, butter, or coconut oil. Add the chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, sweet potato, rinsed brown rice, bone broth, oregano, turmeric, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
  2. Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or on HIGH for 2½–3½ hours, until the brown rice is tender. Because slow cookers vary, begin checking the rice at the earlier end of the time range.
  3. Remove the cooked chicken and shred it on a cutting board. If desired for a creamier soup, carefully blend 4–5 ladles of soup in your blender until smooth, then return it to the slow cooker with the shredded chicken.
  4. Stir in the kale during the final 20 minutes on LOW or 10 minutes on HIGH. If using spinach, stir it in at the very end, cover for a few minutes, and let it wilt. Taste and adjust sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed.
My Favorite Slow Cooker

Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. Set a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ghee, butter, or coconut oil. Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper, then brown it for about 2–3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  2. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic, oregano, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. 
  3. Press Cancel and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Return the chicken to the pot. Add the sweet potato, rinsed brown rice, and bone broth. Stir gently to combine, making sure the rice is covered by the broth. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release before carefully quick-releasing any remaining pressure.
  5. Remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. If desired for a creamier soup, carefully blend 4–5 ladles of soup in your blender until smooth, then return the blended soup and shredded chicken to the pot.
  6. For kale, turn the Instant Pot back to Sauté and stir it in for 2–3 minutes, just until tender. If using spinach, stir it in with the pot on Keep Warm or after turning it off; it will wilt quickly from the residual heat. Taste and adjust the sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes before serving.
Purchase My FAvorite instant pot

Rachel’s Tips For The Best Results

  • Season the aromatics with a bit of salt and pepper, then season the soup again at the end of cooking if needed so the soup does not become too salty.
  • For a slightly creamier soup blend, 4-5 ladles full of the chicken and rice soup then add back into the pot.
  • If your soup becomes too thick after storage, add more broth until it is the consistency you prefer.
  • Make sure you rinse your rice before adding it to the soup so the soup has better consistency.
  • Peel your sweet potatoes faster with a vegetable peeler.
  • Cut through tough kale stems and sweet potato tubers using a sharp chef’s knife.

How To Serve 

This chicken and rice soup is perfect for a light lunch or dinner, but if you want, you could also add more vegetables for extra fiber or a little extra protein on the side.  

This soup pairs really well with our newest Easy Roasted Cabbage Salad recipe or this easy fall Pumpkin + Pomegranate Holiday Salad.

To add even more protein to this already high protein soup, serve it alongside these flavorful grilled chicken skewers, this grilled bruschetta chicken for a bright tomato basil flavor, or this one-pan roast chicken that’s perfect for fall.

Finished chicken and rice soup in a bowl with a spoon.

Make Ahead And Storage Tips

I recommend making a big batch of this soup ahead of time since it freezes really well and works perfectly for a meal prepped lunch.  

As a time saver, make the chicken ahead of time using our easy chicken recipe for poached chicken or leftover chicken from another meal.  (Some people also like to use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, which is a huge time saver, just try to make sure it is good quality and free from additives and preservatives if possible.)

The rice can also be made ahead and added to the soup after cooking and simmering the chicken and aromatics in the broth.

Storage:  For any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Thaw:  To thaw, place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight, or, if it is frozen in a bag, place in cold water in a bowl for around 30-45 minutes.

Reheat:  Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave until heated through.

Did you try this Chicken and Rice Soup recipe? If so, it would mean so much to me if you would comment and rate this recipe!

🩷Rachel

Recipe FAQs

How do I make this chicken and rice soup thicker?

There are several ways to help thicken this chicken soup. The soup will thicken up on its own as the rice cooks, and overnight as the rice continues to soak up some of the fluid. But if you still want the soup thicker you can blend 4-5 ladle-full’s of the cooked soup then return the blended soup to the pot. You can also add a small amount of extra rice to the original rice amount or reduce the amount of liquid you use.

Is chicken and brown rice soup healthy?

This chicken and brown rice soup is healthy because it is made with clean, healthy ingredients.

How do I make this chicken and brown rice soup thinner?

After this soup sits overnight in the refrigerator you may find that it has thickened more than what you like. To thin it out you can add more broth to your desired thinness.

Can I use chicken thighs in this chicken soup?

Absolutely! I suggest boneless, skinless chicken thighs so you can still chop them into chunks for the initial cooking.

Can I cook the rice before adding it to the soup?

To save time when making this soup, you can absolutely make the rice ahead of time. You may want to reduce the amount of liquid in the soup from 8 cups to 7 cups if you do.

More Healthy Soup Recipes You’ll Love

More Recipes You’ll Love

chicken and rice soup with brown rice, sweet potatoes, and kale.
5 from 1 vote
Servings: 8

Healthy Chicken and Rice Soup With Brown Rice (Easy, Cozy)

Cozy up with this healthy chicken and brown rice soup—easy to make, packed with veggies, bone broth, and perfect for meal prep any chilly day!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Pin Rate Print
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Equipment

Ingredients 

  • 2 Tbsps ghee, grassfed butter, or unrefined coconut oil
  • 2 lbs chicken breast,, boneless, skinless, cut into large pieces
  • 3 tsps dried oregano
  • 2 tsps turmeric powder, or to taste
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 ribs –8 celery , diced
  • 4 large carrots, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 sweet potato or yam, large, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup brown rice, uncooked, rinsed well
  • 8 cups bone broth
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped or 8 oz baby spinach
  • sea salt , and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Stockpot Instructions:

  • Heat your ghee in a soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
  • Cook the chicken until golden on all sides, about 2 or 3 minutes, then add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Once the vegetables have softened, stir in your minced garlic, oregano, turmeric, and chili flakes for 30 seconds.
  • Add in your cubed sweet potato and rinsed brown rice. Pour in the bone broth and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer.
  • Simmer your soup on LOW, covered, for 35-45 minutes, or just until the rice is tender. Remove chicken pieces from the pot and shred it on a cutting board. If desired for creamier soup: Take about 4-5 ladles of soup and blend in a blender until smooth, then return to the pot together with your shredded chicken.
  • Add in your fresh chopped kale for the final 3 minutes of cooking. If using spinach, stir it in at the very end, just until wilted.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

  • Lightly grease a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with the ghee, butter, or coconut oil. Add the chicken, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, sweet potato, rinsed brown rice, bone broth, oregano, turmeric, red pepper flakes, sea salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine.
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or on HIGH for 2½–3½ hours, until the brown rice is tender. Because slow cookers vary, begin checking the rice at the earlier end of the time range.
  • Remove the cooked chicken and shred it on a cutting board. If desired for a creamier soup, carefully blend 4–5 ladles of soup in your blender until smooth, then return it to the slow cooker with the shredded chicken.
  • Stir in the kale during the final 20 minutes on LOW or 10 minutes on HIGH. If using spinach, stir it in at the very end, cover for a few minutes, and let it wilt. Taste and adjust sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed.

Instant Pot Instructions:

  • Set a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ghee, butter, or coconut oil. Season the chicken with sea salt and pepper, then brown it for about 2–3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Sauté for 4–5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic, oregano, turmeric, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
  • Press Cancel and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  • Return the chicken to the pot. Add the sweet potato, rinsed brown rice, and bone broth. Stir gently to combine, making sure the rice is covered by the broth. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release before carefully quick-releasing any remaining pressure.
  • Remove the chicken and shred it on a cutting board. If desired for a creamier soup, carefully blend 4–5 ladles of soup in your blender until smooth, then return the blended soup and shredded chicken to the pot.
  • For kale, turn the Instant Pot back to Sauté and stir it in for 2–3 minutes, just until tender. If using spinach, stir it in with the pot on Keep Warm or after turning it off; it will wilt quickly from the residual heat. Taste and adjust the sea salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes before serving.

Notes

  • Season the aromatics with a bit of salt and pepper, then season the soup again at the end of cooking if needed so the soup does not become too salty.
  • Blend a ladle full of the chicken and rice soup then add back into the pot for a slightly creamier soup.
  • If your soup becomes too thick after storage, add more broth until it is the consistency you prefer.
  • Make sure you rinse your rice before adding it to the soup so the soup has better consistency.
  • Leftovers: The rice will continue absorbing broth in the fridge. Reheat with an extra splash of broth or water.
 

Storage

Storage:  For any leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 2 months. 
Thaw:  To thaw, place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight, or, if it is frozen in a bag, place in cold water in a bowl for around 30-45 minutes.
Reheat:  Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave until heated through.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 36g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 82mg, Sodium: 288mg, Potassium: 812mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 9497IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 67mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!
Chicken rice soup pin.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Hi, I'm Rachel!

Welcome to CleanFoodCrush! Here you will find SIMPLE and FUN recipes. We’re all about REAL Food for REAL Life. Eating a little bit better, not “perfect”.

I’ve been creating recipes, inspiration, and supportive online communities through Cleanfoodcrush for over 12 years! I hope you feel supported and inspired to make some small changes that add up big time!

REad More About Me

You May Also Like

  • 5 stars
    I used the Instant Pot method – it was very easy, but very, very tasty. I will definately make it again!

    Reply

    • Really glad the Instant Pot method worked so conveniently for you, and that you loved the flavors in this recipe Gail! <3 Thank YOU for sharing your feedback here! - Rachel

      Reply