Natalie's Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

On a recent post on my sister Megan's blog, I commented that I think canned cream of whatever soup is gross and I promised that I can take any recipe with that stuff in it and make it taste good without it. Natalie saw my comment and e-mailed me and requested that I fix a recipe she has for a creamy chicken and rice soup that calls for cream of chicken soup. No prob Nat.

Instead of canned cream of chicken soup, this soup boasts chicken simmered in stock and vegetables then shredded. There is fluffy long grain white rice and sage and thyme. And creamy comes in with heavy cream and a basic thickener of butter and flour. You and yours are going to love this creamy soup, especially on a cold night.

And people, I promise that this is the last soup recipe for a while. I promise.



1 cup long grain white rice, prepared according to package directions
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
8 cups chicken stock
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp butter, melted
4 Tbsp flour
A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Prepare rice and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. Once the oil runs quickly in the pan and the butter is melted, add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute until onion, carrot and celery are soft and lightly browned. Add thyme and sage and stir until combined. Turn heat to high and pour in chicken stock. Add chicken breasts and simmer until chicken is cooked, about 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the soup and let sit until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add back into the soup. Stir in the prepared rice. Turn heat down to medium and pour in heavy cream. Stir until combined.

In a small bowl, combine melted butter and flour. Whisk until combined. Stir butter flour mixture into the soup until well combined and the soup is thickened. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chopped fresh parsley. Serve with bread for dipping.

Yields 8 servings.

Served with this: Fluffy, perfect buttermilk biscuits. And for dessert, buttermilk biscuits with a dab of lemon curd. Yowza! It was like eating a bite of lemon meringue pie.

Rookie's Notes: High five to my husband Ethan for helping me put this recipe together. As the master of perfect gravy, I made him in charge of thickening this soup. It turned out silky smooth.

Usually a chicken and rice soup calls for cooking the rice in the soup. Well, I didn't want to do that. When I have made chicken and rice soups in the past, the chicken falls apart because it cooks too long while waiting for the rice to cook in the soup. So it's just a mouthful of little shreds of chicken. Maybe I'm an idiot and your chicken and rice soup isn't like that when you cook the rice in the soup. But for me, cooking the rice separate is what I wanted to do.

After we made this, Ethan thought it would have been good to add a little bit of red pepper flakes. I agree. So if you and yours like a little heat, add 1/4 tsp or less of red pepper flakes when you add the thyme and sage.