Rice-a-Roni Chicken Soup

This one pot creamy Rice-a-Roni Chicken Soup is simple to make and the best way to use up leftover chicken or a rotisserie chicken. Chicken broth is the base of this soup, with rice pilaf rice-a-roni mix, chicken, vegetables, and it’s made creamy with cream cheese and cream of chicken soup. This soup recipe is so warm and comforting!

For more creamy chicken soups be sure and also try my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup, Cream Cheese Chicken Soup, or this Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup. 

Creamy Chicken Soup with Rice-a-Roni

I love using convenient short-cuts for a quick and super delicious dinner. This creamy Rice-a-Roni Chicken Soup uses a box of rice pilaf, already cooked chicken (perfect use for leftovers or a rotisserie chicken), fresh veggies, cream of chicken soup, and cream cheese. The base is a simple chicken broth base and the seasoning comes from the packet inside the rice mix!

You will love how creamy and delicious this soup is and you only need one pot to make it.

I am not normally a fan of leftovers, but let me tell you, I ate all the leftovers myself! It warms up well in the microwave and the flavor is just as good as when it’s fresh. 

Ingredients Needed

• Chicken Broth – I find that it’s best to use full salted chicken broth rather than reduced-sodium broth. Of course, reduced-sodium broth can be used but you may need to taste and add salt if necessary. 
• Rice-a-Roni Rice Pilaf – I think this recipe can work well with any variety of rice-a-roni rice mix, but I have only ever used the Rice Pilaf. I recommend using that one because it works, it tastes good, and it has more texture to it with the orzo pasta pieces in it. 
• Small Chopped Fresh Broccoli
• Shredded Carrots
• Finely Chopped White or Yellow Onion
• Cooked Chicken – Use up leftover chicken, buy a rotisserie chicken, or throw some chicken breasts + a can of chicken broth into the sow cooker on LOW heat for 6 hours. Shred it up and it’s ready to go when it is time to make this soup for dinner. 
• Cream of Chicken Soup
• Cream Cheese – I recommend using the full fat regular cream cheese (instead of the 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese) because it has a thicker texture to it and much better flavor. 

Step-by-Step Instructions For How to Make Rice-a-Roni Chicken Soup Recipe

By using convenient boxed and canned ingredients, this creamy chicken soup is a simple weeknight dinner that can be on the table in a hurry. Learn how to make it with the easy-to-follow directions below, and be sure to read to the bottom of the page where there is a detailed recipe card, a printable option, and a pin it button. 

• Large Soup Pot : In a soup pot, over medium-high heat, add the chicken broth, rice-a-roni contents including the seasoning packet, broccoli, shredded carrots, and onion. 
• Boil & Simmer : Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies are softened to your preference and the rice is cooked. I recommend taking the lid off a few times during the summer and stirring it, to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom and that it’s not getting too thick. 
• Chicken + Creamy Stuff : Add in the cooked chicken, cream of chicken, and softened cream cheese. Stir and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until it’s all incorporated well. I like to cover the pot with the lid during this so that all the moisture does not evaporate. If the soup is too thick go ahead and add that additional 1 cup broth. 
• Serve : Serve immediately with bread to dip or try some saltine crackers/oyster crackers. 

Rice-a-Roni Soup FAQ’s

• Serving Suggestions

  • Serve inside bread bowls. Either make Homemade Bread Bowls, buy some at a local bakery, or at the grocery store. 
  • Make my buttery & soft One Hour Rolls. 
  • Make it really simple and buy some frozen or refrigerated rolls or bread sticks. Cook them according to package directions. 
  • This soup is also really good with these Honey Cornbread Muffins. 
  • My family loves this soup served with some saltine crackers or those fun oyster crackers (like what is pictured). 

• Can I Make This Lighter/Lower Fat?

  • Although I recommend using full-fat cream cheese and the regular cream of chicken soup, there are a few ways to ‘lighten up’ this soup if wanted. 
    • Healthy Request or Low-Sodium Cream of Chicken Soup – This is a great option to lighten it up a bit or reduce the sodium content. 
    • Use 1/3 Reduced-Fat Cream Cheese
    • 33% Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth – I prefer using regular salted chicken broth when making this recipe (that is what the recipe has been tested with) you can substitute for the lower-sodium broth. You may need to add additional salt at the end, depending on preference and taste, if needed. 

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Store any leftover soup inside an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4-5 days. 
  • Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top inside a saucepan. 
  • Depending on how thick the soup is, once reheated, you may need to add some additional broth or milk to thin it out. 

• Can I Freeze Rice-a-Roni Soup?

  • I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of the dairy in it. Dairy tends to separate and curdle once thawed from frozen. However, you can freeze it if wanted. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and place the leftovers inside a freezer-safe container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • When ready to eat, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight, and then warm it up on the stove top until warmed through. You may need to add a bit of water, broth, or milk to loosen it back up and try to get it mixed together again. 

Recipe Tips & Variations

Here are a few of my helpful tips so that you can have success recreating this soup recipe in your own kitchen ♥

• Chicken Broth : This recipe calls for 6-7 cups of broth. If you want a thicker soup then use 6 cup. If you prefer a thick + creamy soup, but it still has some broth in it, then use 7 cups. You can also use 6 cups to begin with and then add the additional 1 cup if needed as it simmers. I use full salted chicken broth in this recipe. If using reduced-sodium broth, you may want to taste at the end and some salt if needed. The packet of seasoning inside the rice-a-roni box adds plenty of flavor and seasoning so you will probably be just fine. 
• Use Full Fat Cream Cheese : I recommend sticking with the regular cream cheese mainly because it has a thicker texture, but most importantly, it tastes so much better than the reduced-fat cream cheese. 
• Softened Cream Cheese : In order for the cream cheese to mix in smoothly, without any lumps, make sure it is well softened. I place the cream cheese into the microwave for about 40 seconds to make sure it’s well softened before adding it into the soup. 
• Small Chopped Broccoli Pieces : The broccoli chunks need to be small in order to cook properly during the cook time. 
• Shredded Carrots : Shred the carrots on a cheese grater for this recipe. The pre-shredded carrots you can buy at this tore are too thick and big for this recipe, and they don’t really blend well (size wise) with the other ingredients. 
• Creamed Soup : You can use any variation of creamed soup that you prefer. Other great options are cream of celery or cream of broccoli. I think the cream of chicken adds the best flavor which is why the recipe calls for it. 
• Chicken : I like to throw in 2-3 chicken breasts into the crockpot, with a can of chicken broth, and let it cook on low heat for 6 hours. Chop it up and they’re ready to go. This is also a great recipe to use up leftover chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken at the store. I have even made this soup with canned chicken before and it was still so delicious. If using canned chicken make sure that you drain it well and flake it into larger pieces. 

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love

• Vegetable Beef Noodle Soup – Easy to make with ground beef and egg noodles. 
• Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder – This soup also uses leftover, already cooked chicken. 
• Quick & Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup – A jar of Alfredo Sauce makes this a quick creamy soup recipe. 
• Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup – Let the slow cooker do all the work! No need to peel and cut potatoes, you only need frozen potatoes. 
• Hamburger Soup – A favorite with hundreds of readers. 
• Minestrone Soup – I could eat this everyday!
• Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder – A meatless creamy soup that is still filling and hearty thanks to the potatoes and corn.