Chicken and Mushroom Soup – Hearty One-Pot Comfort Meal

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6 generous bowls

When chilly weather calls for comfort food, this chicken and mushroom soup delivers exactly what you need! This nourishing one-pot meal features tender chicken breasts simmered in a richly flavored broth alongside fresh vegetables, earthy mushrooms, and fluffy rice. The best part? The chicken cooks right in the pot—no pre-cooking required—infusing the broth with incredible depth of flavor. From stovetop to table in under an hour, this wholesome soup becomes an instant family favorite.

Why This Soup Will Win Your Heart

Incredibly Satisfying – This isn’t just any chicken soup. The combination of protein-rich chicken, tender rice, and hearty mushrooms creates a truly filling meal that keeps you warm and satisfied for hours.

Budget-Conscious Cooking – Using simple, affordable ingredients and cooking everything in one pot makes this recipe both economical and practical for busy households.

Flexibility at Its Finest – This recipe welcomes creativity! Use whatever vegetables are lingering in your refrigerator, swap the rice for pasta or barley, and adjust seasonings to your family’s preferences.

Simplified Preparation – Skip the step of pre-cooking chicken. Simply nestle raw chicken breasts into the simmering broth, let them cook through, then shred them right before serving. This technique saves time while maximizing flavor.

Perfect for Using Leftovers – Have vegetables that need using? Toss them in! Leftover roasted chicken? Even better! This soup adapts beautifully to what you have on hand.

Healthy and Wholesome – Packed with lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains, this soup offers balanced nutrition without sacrificing an ounce of flavor.

Building the Perfect Soup Base

The Foundation – Every exceptional soup begins with an excellent base. High-quality chicken broth forms the backbone of this recipe—whether you use store-bought boxes or prepare your own homemade stock. The secret weapon? A touch of poultry seasoning. This simple spice blend transforms your soup, giving it that slow-simmered-all-day flavor in a fraction of the time.

The Chicken – Fresh, boneless chicken breasts go directly into the seasoned broth without any pre-cooking. Keep them whole during simmering to prevent them from drying out. As they cook, their natural juices enrich the broth with deep, savory flavor. Frozen breasts work perfectly too—just add five to ten extra minutes to the cooking time. If using pre-cooked or rotisserie chicken, add it at the very end to simply heat through without overcooking.

Mushroom Magic – Mushrooms bring an earthy, umami-rich dimension to this soup. White button mushrooms, brown cremini mushrooms, baby portobellos, or even sliced portobello mushrooms all work beautifully. Their meaty texture and deep flavor make every spoonful more satisfying.

The Aromatic Base – Sautéed onions, carrots, and celery create what French cooks call a “mirepoix”—the aromatic foundation that develops complex flavors. After establishing this base, the soup welcomes any vegetables you love. Sweet peas, bright broccoli florets, crisp green beans, or even sweet corn add color, nutrition, and variety.

Starch Selection – White rice provides the perfect texture and soaks up the delicious broth wonderfully. For variety, try brown rice for a nuttier flavor and added fiber, small pasta shapes like ditalini or orzo for an Italian twist, or pearl barley for a heartier, rustic texture. Note that brown rice and barley require longer cooking times than white rice.

Step-by-Step Preparation

This straightforward recipe comes together beautifully with minimal effort.

Step One: Warm butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once melted and shimmering, add the diced onions, sliced mushrooms, chopped carrots, and diced celery. Sauté this mixture, stirring regularly, for about five minutes until the onions turn translucent and the vegetables begin softening.

Step Two: Add the minced garlic along with all your seasonings—salt, dried parsley, dried thyme, poultry seasoning, and black pepper. Stir constantly for just thirty seconds to one minute, until the garlic releases its aroma and the seasonings become fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Step Three: Pour in the chicken broth, then nestle the whole, uncooked chicken breasts into the liquid. Add the uncooked rice. Stir everything together and increase the heat to bring the soup to a rolling boil.

Step Four: Once boiling, reduce the heat to achieve a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let everything cook for twenty to twenty-five minutes. After about ten minutes, give everything a stir to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.

Step Five: Around the fifteen-minute mark, carefully remove the chicken breasts from the pot using tongs or a slotted spoon. Place them on a cutting board and shred them using two forks. Set the shredded chicken aside.

Step Six: Check the rice for doneness—it should be tender and fully cooked. Once the rice reaches the perfect texture, return the shredded chicken to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Step Seven: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve immediately, perhaps with crusty bread for dipping or a fresh side salad.

Complete Ingredient List

Butter – 2 tablespoons for sautéing
Onion – 1 medium, diced
Carrots – 2 large, peeled and diced
Celery – 1 rib, diced
Mushrooms – 8 ounces (brown or white), sliced
Garlic – 1 teaspoon, minced
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Dried Parsley – 1 teaspoon
Dried Thyme Leaves – ½ teaspoon
Poultry Seasoning – ½ teaspoon (or substitute ¼ teaspoon ground sage)
Black Pepper – ⅛ teaspoon
Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth – 6 cups
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – 2 pieces, approximately 6 ounces each
Long Grain White Rice – ½ cup, uncooked

Storage and Freezing Tips

Refrigerator Storage: Transfer any leftover soup to a covered container and refrigerate for up to four days. The flavors actually develop and improve overnight, making leftovers especially delicious.

Reheating: Warm refrigerated soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave. If the soup has thickened after refrigeration, thin it with a splash of additional chicken broth or water.

Freezer Storage: This soup freezes beautifully for up to three months. Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Leave about an inch of headspace for expansion. Label with the date and contents.

Thawing and Reheating from Frozen: For best results, thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop, adding a bit of liquid if needed to restore the original consistency.

Nutritional Information (Per 1.5 Cup Serving)

Calories: 240
Protein: 23g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Sodium: 602mg

Important Recipe Notes

This recipe specifically uses raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Frozen chicken breasts work perfectly but require approximately five to ten additional minutes of cooking time to ensure they’re fully cooked through.

If you’re using leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken, add it during the final minutes of cooking. This prevents the already-cooked meat from becoming tough and dry.

For an elegant finishing touch, garnish each bowl with freshly chopped parsley or other fresh herbs before serving.

This soup freezes exceptionally well for up to three months, making it perfect for meal prep or having comfort food ready whenever you need it.

Recipe Variations and Adaptations

Creamy Version: For a richer, creamier soup, stir in half a cup of heavy cream or a can of cream of mushroom soup during the final few minutes of cooking.

Different Starches: Replace the rice with your favorite pasta shapes, pearl barley, or even quinoa for variety. Adjust cooking times accordingly—pasta typically needs less time, while barley requires more.

Vegetable Additions: Feel free to add frozen peas, chopped broccoli, sliced zucchini, or corn during the last ten minutes of cooking.

Herb Substitutions: If you have fresh herbs available, use them! Fresh thyme and fresh parsley add vibrant flavor. Use three times the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried.

Slow Cooker Adaptation: While not tested by the recipe creator, this soup could adapt to slow cooker preparation. Sauté the vegetables and garlic first, then transfer everything to your slow cooker with the broth, chicken, and rice. Cook on low for four to six hours or high for two to three hours.

Serving Suggestions

This hearty soup shines as a complete meal on its own, but pairing it with crusty bread, warm dinner rolls, or buttery crackers makes it even more special. A simple green salad on the side adds freshness and rounds out the meal beautifully.

For gatherings or meal prep, this recipe easily doubles or triples. Simply use a larger pot and adjust cooking times slightly to ensure everything cooks through properly.

Why This Recipe Works

The genius of this recipe lies in its simplicity and smart technique. By cooking the chicken directly in the broth, you infuse the liquid with rich flavor while keeping the meat tender and juicy. The combination of aromatic vegetables, earthy mushrooms, and carefully chosen seasonings creates layers of taste that make this soup memorable.

The one-pot preparation means less cleanup, while the relatively short cooking time makes this recipe accessible even on busy weeknights. Yet the results taste like you’ve been simmering soup all day—the mark of a truly great recipe.

Whether you’re fighting off a cold, seeking comfort on a dreary day, or simply wanting a nutritious, delicious dinner that everyone will love, this chicken and mushroom soup delivers every single time. Make a big batch, enjoy it throughout the week, and discover why it’s destined to become a regular feature in your recipe rotation!