Souper rice is a creamy, savory rice side dish made with a can of cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, instant white rice and Parmesan cheese. The soup and broth are brought to a boil, the rice is stirred in, and the covered pan sits off the heat while the rice soaks up the liquid. There is no simmering and no watching the pot. It is ready in 13 minutes with five ingredients, and it goes with chicken, pork chops, fish or just about any weeknight main.
How to make souper rice: Bring 1 can of cream of chicken soup and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of uncooked instant white rice, 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan and a dash of black pepper. Cover, take the pan off the heat and let it stand for 5 to 8 minutes, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Why You’ll Love It
- Five ingredients. All from the pantry.
- One saucepan. Very little to wash.
- No simmering. The rice cooks off the heat, under a lid.
- Creamy and cheesy. Comforting, with almost no effort.
- Fast. On the table while the main dish rests.
Ingredient Notes
Cream of chicken soup. One 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup. Use it as it comes from the can.
Chicken broth. One and a half cups.
Instant white rice. One and a half cups, uncooked. It has to be instant rice. Regular rice will not cook this way.
Parmesan cheese. A 1/4 cup, grated. Freshly grated or the kind from a can both work.
Black pepper. A dash, freshly ground.
Ingredients
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 dash black pepper, freshly ground
How to Make Souper Rice
1. Boil the soup and broth. Heat the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
2. Add the rice. Stir in the uncooked instant white rice, grated Parmesan and black pepper.
3. Cover and let stand. Cover the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Let stand for 5 to 8 minutes, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Why It Has to Be Instant Rice
The method only works with instant rice, and this is the one rule of the recipe. Instant rice has already been cooked and dried at the factory. All it needs is hot liquid and a few minutes to soften again. That is why it can finish cooking in a covered pan with the burner off.
Regular long-grain rice is raw. It needs to simmer over heat for much longer, and it would still be hard after a short stand in hot soup.
| Rice | Works with this method? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Instant white rice | Yes | It is precooked, so it softens in hot liquid in 5 to 8 minutes |
| Regular long-grain white rice | No | It is raw and has to be simmered. That calls for another method and another timing |
| Brown rice | No | It needs even longer cooking than white rice |
There are soup-and-rice dishes made with regular rice, but they are simmered on the stove, with their own amounts of liquid. Do not try to swap one kind of rice for the other here.
What it should look like when it is done
Lift the lid after 5 minutes. The grains should be plump and tender, and most of the liquid should be gone, leaving the rice creamy and loose, not dry. If it is still soupy or the rice has a firm bite, put the lid back on and give it the full 8 minutes. Stir once before serving.
Tips for Success
Does the liquid have to boil?
Yes. A full boil gives the pan enough heat to cook the rice after the burner is off. Liquid that is only warm will leave it crunchy.
Why keep the lid on?
The lid traps the heat and steam that soften the rice. Do not peek for the first 5 minutes.
How do I keep the soup from scorching?
Stir the soup and broth together as they heat, so the thick soup does not sit on the bottom of the pan.
Can I use another soup?
Yes. Other condensed cream soups work in the same way. Cream of mushroom is a common swap.
Can I use another cheese?
Yes. Parmesan is used here, and other cheeses can take its place.
Should I add salt?
Taste it first. The soup, the broth and the cheese all bring salt.
Is It Really Soup?
No. The name comes from the can of soup that makes the sauce. The finished dish is a creamy rice side, something you eat with a fork next to the main course. If you want rice in an actual bowl of soup, there is a link to one further down.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in a shallow, covered container. You do not need to let the rice cool on the counter first. It can go into the fridge while still warm. It keeps for 3 to 4 days. Reheat, covered, until it reaches 165°F, with a splash of broth or water stirred in to loosen it. In a microwave, stir it partway and check the heat in more than one spot.
What to Serve With It
Serve it next to baked chicken, pork chops or meatloaf, with a green vegetable. For rice as the main event, try the broccoli rice cheese and chicken casserole, the one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole or the pineapple chicken and rice. With ground beef, there is the cozy beef and rice casserole and the easy hamburger rice casserole. And for a true soup, make the slow cooker lemon chicken and rice soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make souper rice with instant rice?
Yes. Instant white rice is what the recipe calls for.
Can I substitute regular uncooked rice, or does it need a different method?
It needs a different method. Regular rice has to be simmered and will not cook in a covered pan off the heat.
Can I cook rice in broth instead of water?
Yes. Here the rice cooks in broth and soup, which is where its flavor comes from.
How long does it take?
About 13 minutes in all, including the 5 to 8 minutes the covered pan stands.
Final Notes
I measure the rice and cheese into one cup before the pot boils, so they can go in together the moment it does. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Souper Rice
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Ingredients
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups instant white rice uncooked; do not substitute regular long-grain rice in this method
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated; freshly grated or from a can
- 1 dash black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Heat the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
- Stir in the uncooked instant white rice, grated Parmesan and black pepper.
- Cover the saucepan and remove it from the heat. Let stand for 5 to 8 minutes, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Notes
Nutrition
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