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Gluten free creamy chicken soup is one of those cozy, dependable dinners that feels nourishing without being complicated. This is a full, hearty chicken and rice soup, not a condensed cream of chicken soup meant for casseroles. It comes together in one pot and works just as well with coconut milk as it does with cream.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Soup Recipe
This soup is built for comfort and practicality. It starts with a classic onion, celery, and carrot base, then turns creamy in a way that actually works for gluten-free cooking. Letting the rice simmer in the broth before adding the chicken helps thicken the soup naturally, so the final texture feels rich without relying on a heavy roux.
It is also flexible enough for real life. You can keep it dairy free with coconut milk or use heavy cream, swap in leftover chicken, or adjust the broth as needed when reheating.
If you enjoy cozy soups like this creamy chicken and wild rice soup or my instant pot chicken soup, this one fits right into that rotation.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive oil: This gives the vegetables a flavorful base and helps soften them evenly at the start.
- Onion, celery, and carrots: This classic combination (mirepoix) builds depth and keeps the soup from tasting flat.
- Garlic cloves: Added after the vegetables soften so it stays fragrant without burning.
- Gluten free all-purpose flour: Used briefly to help the broth thicken. You can also use regular flour if gluten is not a concern.
- Italian seasoning, sea salt, and black pepper: These season the soup throughout instead of relying on salt at the end.
- Bone broth or chicken broth: Bone broth adds richness, but regular chicken broth works just as well.
- Basmati rice: This helps thicken the soup as it cooks and makes it more filling. Jasmine rice also works.
- Full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream: Either option gives the soup its creamy finish without overpowering the flavor.
- Chicken breasts or thighs: Cut into bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly and stay tender.
- Chopped parsley: Optional, but nice for freshness at the end.
How to Make Gluten-Free Creamy Chicken Soup
Step 1: Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring, until softened.
Step 2: Add the garlic, flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook briefly to coat the vegetables and remove any raw flour taste.
Step 3: Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits.
Step 4: Increase the heat and bring everything to a boil. Add the rice and coconut milk. If using heavy cream, wait to add it later. Reduce the heat to a simmer.
Step 5: Cover and simmer, stirring every few minutes so the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 6: Add the chicken and cook until both the rice and chicken are tender. Add heavy cream now if you are using it. Add more broth or water if the rice absorbs too much liquid.
Step 7: Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve warm with chopped parsley if using.
You can also browse all of my gluten-free soup recipes when you want more gluten-free comfort options.
How This Soup Stays Creamy Without Gluten
The texture comes from timing, not extra starch. Simmering the rice in the broth before adding the chicken releases enough starch to thicken the soup gently. Cooking the flour briefly with the vegetables keeps it from tasting grainy.
Coconut milk is added once the broth comes to a boil, while heavy cream is stirred in at the end, which helps prevent separation and keeps the soup creamy instead of starchy.
If you enjoyed this one, you might also like my Instant Pot leftover turkey soup for another easy, comforting meal.
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The rice will absorb liquid as it sits, so add more broth or water when reheating and adjust seasoning as needed.
This gluten-free soup recipe is best enjoyed fresh, since rice and creamy soups do not freeze well.
Recipe FAQs
This soup thickens naturally from the rice as it simmers, with a small amount of gluten free flour for structure.
Yes. Use full-fat coconut milk instead of cream. It adds richness without a strong coconut flavor.
Rice continues to absorb liquid. Add a splash of broth and reheat gently to loosen the texture.
Yes. Stir it in after the rice is cooked and warm through for a few minutes.
If you make this recipe, please leave me a star rating and comment below! I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Follow me on social media Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for even more delicious recipes!
Gluten Free Creamy Chicken Soup (Dairy Free Option)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil, or your favorite cooking oil
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour, or regular all purpose flour
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups bone broth, or chicken broth
- 3/4 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained – jasmine rice works too
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk, or heavy cream
- 1 lb chicken breasts, or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Optional: chopped parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots and cook stirring for 5 minutes until softened.1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 onion, 2 celery sticks, 2 carrots
- Add garlic, flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.4 garlic cloves, 3 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Pour in broth and scrape the bottom of the pan.4 cups bone broth
- Increase the heat to high and cook until everything comes to a boil, then add rice and coconut milk. (If using heavy cream, don't add it in yet). Bring back to boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.3/4 cup basmati rice, 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- Cover the pot and simmer for 8 minutes while stirring every few minutes to keep the rice from sticking.
- Add chopped chicken and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the rice and the chicken are both cooked. Add heavy cream now if that's what you are using. You can add more broth or water if the rice soaks up too much liquid.1 lb chicken breasts
- Taste to add more salt and/or pepper, and serve warm. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if using.Optional: chopped parsley
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The rice will absorb liquid as it sits, so add more broth or water when reheating and adjust seasoning as needed.
- This gluten-free soup recipe is best enjoyed fresh, since rice and creamy soups do not freeze well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this with left over turkey tonight and cashew cream! It was delicious! My kids even finished their bowls!
I definitely appreciate a one-pot meal! I used coconut milk because I am dairy free, and was pleased that the soup didn’t have a coconut-y flavor, because of all the other ingredients.
This recipe was so good!! The broth was so flavorful and it makes plenty to have enough for leftovers.
Thank you so much!
I just made this a few hours ago. Had most ingredients on hand so that was a plus it’s been windy and chilly here so soup was perfect for the weather. Easy to follow directions. We ate this for dinner and my dinner companion went back for seconds. Great tasting soup hearty and flavorful for us.
Super easy and delicious recipe! I’m saving it in my recipe binder and will make a few batches to freeze for postpartum. It’s a recipe where you’ll always have all the ingredients on hand! Except in my case, my coconut milk expired, so I used almond milk instead, which does change the taste, but obviously still delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This soup is so filling and flavorful and it honestly tastes really indulgent despite being pretty healthy! I loved how similar it is to your standard chicken noodle soup, but with all sorts of little tricks to make it better. Making this one again for sure!
This soup is so comforting! The only tweaks I made were to use coconut milk to make it dairy free, and I added in some frozen cauliflower rice when adding the chopped chicken back in. I like to sneak cauliflower rice into any soup or stew that involves regular rice or ground meat (put it in your chili and no one will be the wiser). It hides out, very sneaky extra veggies! Make this, so so good.
This soup turned out delicious. Rich in flavor and very thick. I used the coconut milk instead of heavy cream. After it sat for awhile I ended up putting 2 more cups of broth due to the fact the rice soaked up most of the liquid.
Yes, that’s what I recommend doing under Storage Tips when you reheat leftovers!
Wonderful! My family loved this! Will be making it again. Thank you !
This soup is so delicious! I’m keto so I swapped the rice for palmini rice and it was just as tasty. The bone broth also adds extra protein which I love.