Chicken and Sausage Soup with Rice

This chicken sausage rice soup is hearty, flavorful and filling enough to win over even the biggest soup skeptic. Browned sausage, tender chicken, rice, bell pepper and tomatoes simmer in a seasoned broth.

A pinch of crushed red pepper gives it a gentle kick. Everything cooks in one large pot in well under an hour, so it’s an easy weeknight dinner. Get ready for this satisfying, flavorful, yummy in your tummy soup. It will be a winner!

The Best Chicken and Sausage Soup with Rice (A Man’s Soup)

Although I’m loving the warm weather, I may have shed a tear that soup season is coming to a close. Wait… was that a tear, or are my eyes nonstop watering from allergies? Either way, I had to squeeze in this chicken sausage and rice soup one last time.

When it comes to soup, my husband is pretty picky. He likes hearty meals and feels most soups are well… girly food. It’s not that he doesn’t like the taste, he just rarely gets full off of soup. When he doesn’t like to eat something, he might as well triple dog dare me. Game on, honey, game on.

I’ve played around with this recipe a few times. I found the additional spice from the crushed red pepper to be the cherry on top. He LOVED it! Direct quote: “Okay, I think you finally made a man’s soup… I’m getting seconds.”

A major part of healthy cooking is using quality ingredients. I can’t emphasize the importance of reading ingredients! Take two extra seconds, flip the package over, and read what ingredients are actually making up the food you’re purchasing. You’ll be surprised what junk is thrown in our foods. I like Pacific Natural broths, especially the cage free part on the chicken broth. Thank you, Food, Inc.

Why You’ll Love This Sausage and Rice Soup

• Hearty and filling. Two kinds of protein plus rice make a soup that actually fills you up.
• One pot. Everything from browning the sausage to cooking the rice happens in the same pot.
• Big flavor. Basil, oregano, parsley and crushed red pepper season every spoonful.
• Husband approved. The soup that finally got a picky soup eater to go back for seconds.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here is what goes into this chicken sausage soup and why each one matters. Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

• Coconut or olive oil: Just enough to soften the onion and garlic and help the sausage brown. Coconut oil adds no coconut flavor once it is cooked with the onion and spices.
• Sweet onion and garlic: The flavor base of the soup. Sweet onions turn soft and mellow quickly, and minced garlic adds savory depth.
• Turkey or chicken link sausage: A 14 ounce package, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds. Browning the slices adds a rich, savory flavor to the whole pot. Read the label and pick one with simple, recognizable ingredients.
• Chicken broth and vegetable broth: One 32 ounce carton of each. Using both gives a rounder flavor than either one alone. Choose organic or cage free broth if you can, and check the ingredient list.
• Dried basil, oregano and parsley: Classic Italian herbs that season the broth as it simmers. Dried herbs hold up well to longer cooking.
• Salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper: The crushed red pepper is optional, but it is the cherry on top if you like a little heat.
• Rice: One cup of uncooked rice simmers right in the broth and thickens the soup slightly as it releases starch. Long grain white rice cooks in about 20 minutes.
• Chicken breasts: Cut into 1 inch pieces so they cook quickly and evenly in the hot broth.
• Red bell pepper: Adds color, sweetness and a little crunch. It goes in near the end so it doesn’t turn mushy.
• Diced tomatoes: One 15 ounce can, drained. Tomatoes add brightness and a touch of acidity that balances the rich sausage. Draining them keeps the broth from getting watery.

How to Make Chicken Sausage Rice Soup

1. Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion turns translucent and the garlic smells fragrant.
2. Brown the sausage. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is lightly browned around the edges. If your sausage is raw rather than precooked, cook until it is no longer pink inside.
3. Add the broth and seasonings. Pour in the chicken broth and vegetable broth. Stir in the basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, and you’ll smell the herbs bloom as the broth heats.
4. Simmer the rice. Stir in the rice, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Give the pot a stir once or twice so the rice doesn’t settle and stick to the bottom.
5. Cook the chicken and vegetables. Add the chicken, bell pepper and drained tomatoes. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F on a thermometer.
6. Serve. Remove the pot from the heat, taste for salt and ladle into bowls while hot. The broth should be rich and herby, with tender rice in every spoonful.

Ways to Customize This Soup

• Spice it up. Add more crushed red pepper, or use a spicy chicken sausage.
• Add greens. Stir a few handfuls of spinach or kale into the hot soup at the end and let it wilt.
• Switch the broth. Use all chicken broth for a richer soup, or all vegetable broth for a lighter one.
• More vegetables. Add diced carrots or celery with the onion for extra color and crunch.

Chicken Sausage Rice Soup FAQs

• Can I use turkey sausage? Yes. Turkey or chicken link sausage both work in this soup.
• How do I know the chicken is done? Use a thermometer. Chicken is safe to eat when it reaches 165°F, which takes about 5 minutes in boiling broth for 1 inch pieces.
• Can I use brown rice? Yes, but brown rice needs much longer to cook. Simmer it until tender before adding the chicken, and add extra broth if the soup gets too thick.
• Can I use leftover cooked chicken? Yes. Stir it in with the bell pepper and tomatoes and heat until the soup is steaming hot.
• Is it spicy? Only a little. Leave out the crushed red pepper for a mild soup, or add more if you like it hot.
• How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, to 165°F.
• Why is my leftover soup so thick? The rice keeps soaking up broth as it sits. Add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.
• Can I freeze this soup? You can, but the rice softens when thawed. For the best texture, freeze the soup before adding the rice and cook fresh rice when you reheat it.

Kitchen Tools for This Recipe

Sausage and Rice Soup

This sausage and rice soup simmers browned turkey or chicken sausage, rice, chicken breast, red bell pepper and tomatoes in chicken and vegetable broth with basil, oregano and parsley. Crushed red pepper adds an optional kick.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tbs coconut or olive oil
• 1 small sweet onion diced
• 1 Tbs minced garlic
• 1 14 oz turkey or chicken link sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1 32 oz organic chicken broth
• 1 32 oz organic vegetable broth
• 1 Tbs basil
• 1 Tbs oregano
• 1 Tbs dried parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper optional... if you like it spicy!
• 1 cup rice
• 2 chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 1 15 oz can organic diced tomatoes, drained

Instructions

 

• Over medium heat in a large pot, heat oil for 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion and garlic. Saute for 1 to 2 minutes until onions are translucent. Add sausage and cook for additional 3 to 4 minutes until sausage is slightly brown.
• Add chicken broth, vegetable broth, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to boil.
• Add rice. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Add chicken, bell pepper, and diced tomatoes to pot. Bring to boil and cook for about 3 to 5 more minutes until chicken no longer pink. Remove from heat.
• Serve and enjoy!

Made this soup? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me how it turned out in the comments below. I’d love to know if it passed the picky eater test at your house too.

More Recipes You’ll Love

• Chicken Fiesta Soup
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
• Easy Sausage, Potato and Carrot Stew
• Lentil and Vegetable Soup
• Sirloin Steak Soup with Potatoes and Vegetables