This delicious meal is easily made in the slow cooker!
This spin on the classic creamy chicken and rice soup will certainly become a regular at your dinner table! We made a few ingredient swaps to make this recipe waistline-friendly while maintaining the original’s wholesome flavor. Each spoonful delivers soft, chewy grains of brown rice swimming in a creamy, herb-filled broth. Our Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Crock Pot Recipe is filled to the brim with tender bites of chicken, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. As a bonus, it’s a breeze to make!
How to Make Our Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Crock Pot Recipe
Thanks to the magic of your slow cooker, this Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Crock Pot Recipe is a snap to whip up. Simply add all the ingredients (except the milk and cornstarch). Cover the Crock-Pot and cook the soup on low for 6 to 8 hours. It’s finished when the rice is soft, the chicken is cooked through, and the carrots feel tender. Afterward, stir in milk and cook for an additional 10 minutes. For a soup with a thicker consistency, you can whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk before adding it to the slow cooker.
This belly-warming soup tastes super indulgent without taking a toll on your waistline! Low-calorie veggies like carrots and celery bulk up this soup to deliver nutrition while making the meal more filling. Meanwhile, healthy carbs like brown rice and potatoes deliver energy-boosting goodness with every bite.
Our Chicken and Rice Soup Calls For Powerful Superfoods
Ingredients like thyme, garlic, and red pepper flakes play a larger role than just adding incredible depth of flavor to this recipe. Fresh springs of thyme add a refreshingly clean taste to any dish, and they also contain antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. They’re a wonderful ingredient to add to meals when you feel a cold about to strike!
Likewise, garlic carries a boatload of medicinal properties that can combat sickness. It’s also a fantastic source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, and manganese. Finally, red pepper flakes can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories. Meanwhile, research suggests a diet that contains red pepper flakes may help ward off cravings.
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are really the MVP of this Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Crock Pot Recipe, so we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about them! They add a great source of lean protein to this recipe to help fill you up and keep you feeling fuller for longer. The chicken becomes fork-tender and drool-worthy as it cooks on the low in your slow cooker.
An Easy-to-Serve Soup Your Body Will Thank You For
Weighing in at just 180 calories a serving, this slow cooker chicken and rice soup makes a delicious low-calorie meal. Meanwhile, this savory soup carries a whopping 17 grams of protein and just 5 grams of fat. It’ll fill you up without weighing you down, making this soup a fantastic weight-loss meal to keep on hand!
Prep your ingredients in the morning before going about your day. Once you return home, simply ladle this crave-worthy soup into bowls for dinner. Yum!
Slow Cooker Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup long grain brown rice this is not the quick type of rice
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 potato large, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 yellow onion or sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt more or less to taste
- 2 fresh sprigs thyme stems removed
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast about two breast filets, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups chicken broth recommend bone broth
- 1 cup milk I used 1%, skim is not recommended for this recipe
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except milk and cornstarch, to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken is cooked and carrots and rice are tender.
- Before turning off the slow cooker, add the milk and stir to combine. Cook about an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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For more comforting slow-cooker soups and stews recipes, make sure to check out some of our other favorites below!
- Chicken Enchilada Slow Cooker Soup
- Slow Cooker Chickpea and Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
- Anti-Inflammatory Broccoli Turmeric Soup
- Slow Cooker Chunky Squash and Chicken Stew
Have you made this Cream of Chicken and Rice Soup Crock Pot recipe? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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Made this tonite. It's really yummy. I used frozen chicken breast, so I couldn't dice the meat. Turns out the chicken is so tender, it just falls apart when the soup is done. Very good recipe. Thanks!
Donna, YUM! Sounds delish. 🙂
I actually have all the ingredients on hand except the black rice. Do you think brown rice would work?
Jamie, Yes…just be sure to use long grain brown rice.
Jamie it calls for brown rice..states so in the recipe.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe, even my picky husband loves it;) Great to come home to on a cold snowy day!
This soup is very tasty, but one word of warning: If you use black rice, rinse it well — REALLY WELL. If you don't, you may end up with purple soup like I did! I bought a mesh strainer for a more thorough rinsing, but my second batch of soup still had a slight purple tinge to it. Not as bad as the first time, but noticeable nonetheless. Maybe it was the type of black rice I used, which was Lotus Foods Organic Forbidden Black Rice. I may switch to long-grain wild rice next time. That being said, hubby and I both loved the flavor of this soup.
Do you think I could use white beans instead of potatoes
Kristy, You can use beans instead of potatoes, if you like.
Another winner! So many great recipes on your site. It's especially nice that I don't have to "build a recipe" to get the WW points. Thank you for that!
You're welcome!
is the rice cooked before?
No, it's not.
Made this last night and it was fantastic! A must for your soups collection. Handy as I started it in the morning and got held up out with my grandkids. When I arrived home late it was still warming in the crockpot. Saved the day.
You had me until the milk portion. At what point are people going to get their heads out of the ground and understand that low fat milk and skim milk are NOT healthy and actually make us GAIN. You want to lose weight, you drink WHOLE milk and even better for your body, RAW WHOLE milk. People really need to do research. Nothing about low fat/skim milk will help a person lose weight.
Maybe once dieticians and doctors stop pushing it down people's throats…people shouldn't have dairy to begin with. Don't I cringe when I go to the grocery store and the dietician has signs up recommending low fat this low fat that. Get with the times people
Plus reg milk has surger in it . We change to almond milk unsweetened and love it.
So, don't put it in. Or use whole milk. Good. Luck 🙂
can i use white rice?
Samantha, Yes, you can use white rice.
I enjoyed this! The milk and cornstarch made it just creamy enough. I added lemon juice and zest to give it a little more flavor. Cooked on high for 4 hours to cut down on time and it seemed to work fine.
I cooked this last night and it didn't turn out well. I am thinking I overcooked it maybe? Is it possible to overcook this meal in a crock pot? It is really mushy and unflavorful 🙁
Brooke, sorry you didn’t like the recipe! You’ll need to add at least 1/2 teaspoon salt to bring the flavors forward in most soups and stews. I'm not sure if you already did that, but that might help. A good amount of ground pepper is also important. The rice in this soup does come out soft. If long grain rice is used, it might come out less soft than your results. Another option is to cook for less time. Hope that helps;)
I suggest adding brown rice after the first two hrs of chicken cooking in crockpot. Proceed as recipe suggests. I omitted the garlic and added just 2 tsp finely chopped sweet onion, didnt have fresh thyme so used dry. came out delicious didnt even have to add cornstarch as it thickened self with rice. I garnished it with fresh chopped parsely. This is a keeper!!!!
Michelle, Thanks so much for the feedback. Happy you enjoyed! 🙂
Im cooking this tonight and there seems to be white film like on top?? Will it eventually be a clear soup??
Vicky Pelletier, With soups in general, it is always a good idea to skim the foam from the top with a slotted spoon or other utensil, however, you can also stir it into the soup to incorporate. In this case, it's probably the dairy and you can either skim the top or stir the soup to incorporate.
Soup will be opague due to the milk and starch from rice. Not suppose to be a clear soup afterall it is a cream soup
can i use an alternate milk (like almond or flax milk?)
Danielle, Yes, you can.
I bought a black rice mix from Trader Joe's and should have listened to the previous posts warning….my soup was purple too. I checked the entire package and it didn't mention anything about rinsing the rice, but from now on I'll know. The family was bummed, as the soup smelled fantastic! I'll give it another try soon.
JRPKP, The soup was probably okay to eat.
I've intended to make this three times now, but keep getting pulled away from my house in the a.m. I guess I'm not a good crockpot candidate! 😉 Do you think this can just be made in a pot on the stovetop? Thanks, it looks great!!
Kate, Yes you could make this on the stove top or in a shorter amount of time by setting the crockpot to high.
What about using fat free half & half ??
Cathy, You can, but there tends to be preservatives and stabilizers in that, so it's not exactly clean eating.
I'm reading the comments, and they keep saying the recipe calls for black rice, but the recipe I see says long grain brown rice… did it change or am I missing something?? Anyways trying this tonight for my family, as I'm working really late, so hopefully it's good! If not they're on their own haha.
Amanda, Long grain brown rice is correct but black would work too. Do let us know how it turned out:)!
Would this soup work to freeze? I'm going out of town this weekend and not getting home until late Sunday, would love to make Friday before leaving and freezing for the weekend to come home to dinner for the week!
Katie, Yes this soup freezes very well. Cool it to room temperature and store in an airtight container first!
I wonder if I could use almond milk????
Diana, You could try and let us know how it goes! It should be okay.
Would it work if I were to omit the corn starch? I have all the ingredients on hand except that.
Jehana, Yes, it will work. Cornstarch makes the soup thicker though. Instead you can add a bit of flour.
I didnt add either. The milk made it creamy and the rice thickened it to perfect consistency
Can quick barley (the kind that cooks in 10 minutes) be substituted for the rice and be added to the slow cooker later in the cook time? I am not particularly a fan of brown rice (or rice of any kind). Thank you!
Mary, Yes quick barley should work well as a substitute add towards the end of cook time.
Hi! planning on making this for my family of 4 tonight. I only have long grain short rice, will this effect anything such as the time I add rice? I am new at the crock pot meals so I am not sure of time and temps. Am I able to do this soup on High for 4 hours instead? WIll the rice still cook well if I am cooking on high for 4 hours? Also, not sure if I am going to use cornstarch–I am not opposed to it, just wondering how thick it will be with it. If I only do the milk will it still be pretty creamy? I also dont have celery, hope that doesnt dilute the flavor too much
The short grain rice should be fine. If you’re going to be at home while it’s in the slow cooker, I would recommend
adding the rice in the 3rd hour. Cooking on high 4 hours might make the rice mushy. Yes, all milk will make it yummy.
Regarding the cornstarch, wait until the soup is ready then check to see if it’s your desired thickness. If not, add the cornstarch.
Keep us posted, we’d love to hear how it turned out. 🙂
Hi I know i am a few years late but was wondering if I can just put in the milk with the rest of the ingredients. I am usually out of my house by 8:30 am and back by 7pm and I am looking for recipes to just put in the slow cooker and leave. My slow cooker also has the timers which help.
Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
Unfortunately you cannot add the milk with the rest of the ingredients. Cooking milk (or other dairy) in the crock pot for such a long time will cause the dairy to curdle. There’s also a higher probability of scorching the soup.
Hi I just went to the store and could not find long grain brown rice so I got uncle Ben’s whine grain brown rice will that work and do I put it in in the beginning as the recipe calls for or at a later time to avoid rice getting mushy?
Michelle, putting the rice in at a later time would be best. It might be better to cook the rice separately and stir it into the soup before serving to avoid any mushy-ness.
Can Orzo be used rather than rice? If so, how long would you recommend cooking that?
Alicia, Sure! I would add the orzo about 10-15 minutes before turning off the slow cooker. 🙂
I made this today and was so looking forward to it. Until I arrived home and found that my broth had entirely cooked off and I was left with a very mushy casserole. Suggestions? It cooked for 8 hours on low!!
Erin, Liquid doesn’t generaly evaporate from the slow cooker, even after 8 hours or more. There’s plenty of broth so I’m just not sure what happened. I would suggest next time adding additional broth, up to 6 cups total should be fine.
So is 1/2 cup of rice enough? I add another 1/2 cup bc it doesnt seem to be enough
Leanne, Another 1/2 cup works as well. It’s really a personal preference. 🙂
This works great with Unsweetened Almond Milk with little corn starch.
Why does it have cornstarch in the instructions but not in the list of ingredients? How much cornstarch should be used?
Lenore, 1 tablespoons combined with the milk. Please see updated recipe. 😉
I made this several times. Really good recipe. I didn’t thicken it left it as was felt it was thicken enough. I will make it again. thanks
We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Barbara!
Mine came out very peppery! Not sure if it’s the pepper or the red pepper flakes? Suggestions? I’m new to cooking…. but other than that this is still delicious!! Thx
Haili, The recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Both salt and black pepper can be reduced according your personal taste. 🙂
Welcome to the world of cooking. You’re in the right place, Haili. 🙂
How long in an instant pot?
Hi Marilyn, you can follow the instructions for this recipe and instead cook for about 20 min on high pressure in the Instant Pot.
Delicious
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