Description

This Crockpot Hearty Chicken and Rice Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for cozy days. Featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs, fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs, and wholesome basmati rice, this soup combines simple ingredients with easy slow-cooking techniques to deliver a nourishing, delicious meal. The addition of fresh spinach and lemon juice brightens the dish, making it both hearty and fresh.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

6 tablespoons salted butter
1 pound boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups dry basmati rice
3 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Herbs and Seasonings

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional

Parmesan rind (optional, adds depth of flavor)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients: Gather all ingredients. Chop the onion, shallots, celery, carrots, garlic, and parsley. Measure out the herbs and butter.
Combine in Crockpot: In the bowl of your crockpot, add the butter, chicken, onions, shallots, celery, and carrots. Pour over the low sodium chicken broth. Add the thyme, sage, rosemary, bay leaf, and season generously with salt and pepper. If using, add the parmesan rind for extra flavor.
Cook Slowly: Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-4 hours. This slow cooking will tenderize the chicken and meld the flavors.
Shred the Chicken: Once cooked, remove the chicken and shred it using two forks or chop finely. Return the shredded chicken to the soup.
Add Rice and Greens: About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the basmati rice, chopped spinach, parsley, and fresh lemon juice. Let the soup cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy.
Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with additional fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot and enjoy the hearty, warming flavors.

Notes

You can substitute brown rice for basmati rice if you prefer, but allow additional cooking time for the rice to become tender.
If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried herbs can be used but reduce the quantities by about one-third for best flavor balance.
Cooking the rice separately and adding it just before serving is an alternative to prevent the rice from getting too soft during slow cooking.
Adding a parmesan rind is optional but adds a lovely umami depth to the broth.
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
For a dairy-free version, replace butter with olive oil and omit parmesan rind.