While chicken and rice are a tried-and-true combination that might be overlooked due to their ubiquitousness, we’ve got a soup for you today that will knock your socks off. This isn’t just ordinary chicken and rice soup; it’s ranch chicken and rice soup. There’s something homey about it, but it’s also so tasty that people wonder why their copies never come out nearly as nice. We’re going to divulge all our secrets today, so grab a pencil and get ready to scribble.

While most of our soups start the same way – with carrots, onion, and celery – we deviated slightly with our seasoning. Paprika and Italian spice offer a little heat, but one entire packet of dry ranch seasoning really kicks things up and adds a lot of flavor to this soup. Instead of a roux or cornstarch slurry to thicken, we simply added flavor by tossing in condensed cheddar cheese soup.

Condensed cream of chicken can be substituted in a pinch, and you’re welcome to use your own handmade condensed soup, but we had this on hand and it complimented all the flavors nicely. After that, just add your rice and shredded chicken and you’re ready to go!

Cover your soup and let it boil until the rice is tender – that’s all there is to it! There is a time and place for more intricate, labor-intensive dishes, but for nights when you don’t have a minute to spare, this is the way to go. What’s not to love about something that tastes great and is high in protein and flavor? This crack chicken and rice soup is delicious, so give it a try and see how much you enjoy it.