Description
This comforting Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup is a hearty, flavorful meal made with tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and white rice simmered in a savory chicken broth. Cooked low and slow in a slow cooker, it delivers effortlessly rich flavors and a satisfying texture, finished with bright notes of lemon and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Protein
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Liquids & Seasonings
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 6 cups chicken stock (plus more as needed)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup white rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion, cooking while stirring often for about 5 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Move the sautéed vegetables into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts, chicken stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Slow Cook Chicken and Vegetables: Cover and cook on low heat for 4 hours, allowing the chicken to become tender and the flavors to meld.
- Shred Chicken and Add Rice: Remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker along with the rinsed white rice.
- Cook Rice in Slow Cooker: Cover and cook on high heat for 1 hour to cook the rice through.
- Finish Soup: Stir the soup thoroughly. Add more chicken stock if the soup seems too thick. Then stir in the frozen peas, chopped parsley, and fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed before serving.
Notes
- Rinsing the rice before adding it to the slow cooker helps prevent it from becoming gummy.
- Adding lemon juice at the end brightens the flavors and adds a fresh finish.
- You can substitute brown rice but will need to increase cooking time accordingly.
- For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of chicken stock or cook uncovered for the last 15 minutes.
- Use low sodium chicken stock to better control the salt content.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: chicken soup, slow cooker chicken soup, chicken and rice soup, crockpot recipes, comfort food, easy soup, weeknight dinner
