Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup
Chicken and Rice Soup gets a spicy makeover with today’s Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup featuring plenty of tender, sauteed veggies, juicy, flavorful chicken and a smoky, tomato-infused chicken broth.
Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup Recipe
I love a good, spicy chicken and rice soup but I’ve found that most pre-made versions are way too salty for me. So, of course, I had to try my hand at making my own!
I used my homemade Cajun seasoning as inspiration with it’s spicy earthiness that adds an amazing depth of flavor to any recipe that it’s added to.
In Cajun cooking, a lot of recipes start with the “Cajun trinity” – sauteed onions, bell peppers and celery so that seemed like the perfect base for this soup.. and then everything fell into place easily after deciding that.
This Cajun-inspired soup is smoky, spicy and zesty with a flavorful blend of aromatics, juicy chicken and tender rice simmered in a richly flavored tomato-infused chicken broth.
It’s a pleasantly spicy one-pot meal that is perfect for meal prepping or serving as a filling and comforting family meal.
Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup Variations
- I often use jasmine rice because it’s my favorite, but you can use brown rice for a heartier soup with more fibre and nutrients – or add a wild rice blend for a distinctly fall take on this classic chicken rice soup.
- if you’d prefer a creamy soup, add 1/4 cup heavy cream in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- use leftover rotisserie chicken like we did with our Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Soup
- add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (and possibly even a bit of lemon zest) to brighten up the soup
- swap out or increase the vegetables – zucchini, mushrooms, kale, spinach, bell peppers, broccoli or cauliflower would all be great additions or substitutions
- swap out the rice for cauliflower rice to make this recipe low-carb
- amp up the heat with a dash of hot sauce or chopped jalapenos
- use small pasta (like pastina) instead of rice
- swap out the chicken for chopped steak or shrimp
How to store leftover cajun chicken and rice soup: Store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The rice will continue to soak up the soup broth as it sits in the fridge, so you’ll need to add more broth or water when you want to reheat – but just note that the rice will have become very soft and some pieces may actually break down a bit.
Can I freeze cajun chicken and rice soup? Personally, I don’t recommend freezing this soup with the rice so I would remove the rice before freezing (or make the soup without rice if you plan to freeze it). Freeze for up to 2 months in airtight ziptop freezer bags or your favorite freezer containers. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)
More Homemade Chicken Soup Recipes:
- Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cold-Fighting Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Classic Chicken and Rice Soup
- Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Soup (Low-Carb) from Sizzle and Salt
- Asian-Style Chicken Rice Soup from Kylee Cooks
- Buffalo Chicken Soup from The Soccer Mom Blog
Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup Ingredients
- Oil or Butter
- Chicken, chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- Cajun Seasoning <– grab our homemade Cajun seasoning recipe here
- Rice
- Small Onion, diced
- Celery, diced
- Sweet Bell Pepper, diced
- Tomato Paste
- Chicken Broth
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the soup.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Heavy stockpot or Dutch Oven <– highly recommended for even cooking and seamlessly transferring recipes from the stove to the oven
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Cutting Board
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula <– I like these spatulas because they are one solid piece and don’t have removable heads for bacteria to get trapped underneath. Plus they are heat-resistant and have a lifetime warranty
How to Make Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup
Heat half of the oil in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat
Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper and half of the cajun seasoning, then add to the oil and cook until browned all over and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F (approximately 6-8 minutes).
Meanwhile, rinse your rice and cook in 1 1/3 cup water until fluffy and tender, following package directions. (I boil the rice first, then reduce to simmer and cover with a pot lid until done cooking.)
Add the chopped veggies to the dutch oven along with the chicken, additional additional oil as needed.
Cook until onions are translucent and veggies are soft and slightly charred, about 6 minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and the chicken broth.
Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
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Cajun Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Oil or Butter
- 2 cups Chicken, chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 cup Rice (or 1 1/2 cups Cooked Rice)
- 1 Small Onion, diced
- 2 Stalks Celery, diced
- 1 Sweet Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
Instructions
- Heat half of the oil in a stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat
- Season the chopped chicken with salt and pepper and half of the cajun seasoning, then add to the oil and cook until browned all over and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F (approximately 6-8 minutes).
- Meanwhile, rinse your rice and cook in 1 1/3 cup water until fluffy and tender, following package directions. (I boil the rice first, then reduce to simmer and cover with a pot lid until done cooking.)
- Add the chopped veggies to the dutch oven along with the chicken, additional additional oil as needed.
- Cook until onions are translucent and veggies are soft and slightly charred, about 6 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook until dark brown, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice and the chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 326Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 1901mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 20g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this Cajun chicken and rice soup recipe as much as mine does!
For more scrumptious soups, check out our full soup recipe collection here:
For more ways to enjoy chicken, check out our full chicken recipe collection here:
