Chicken, Rice & Vegetable Soup Recipe

Best thing to eat on a cold and rainy day.  Especially if your spouse has a cold.  Show the love.

We had two days of warmth in a row this April. Woo-hoo! Except today it is rainy and a little raw. Oh well, April showers bring May flowers and all that. The rain is also melting the last strip of ice off my deck. I can do this. Due to the weather and Bob's head cold, I am calling it a chicken soup day.

I have not one recipe for chicken soup, but they all start out the same. POACH bone-in, split chicken breasts (a full chicken is fine too) in a liquid of equal parts chicken stock (it can come from a cardboard container) and water, plus 1/2 part good white wine. Just enough to cover the chicken plus a half inch. I forage through my vegetable drawer and find 1/2 onion (in), 1 carrot (snap in half and in, clean but no peeling), a head of celery (half in, don't forget the leaves), fresh herbs - sage, thyme, rosemary and oregano (in). On my counter there is a head of garlic (in, skin and all), plus some salt and pepper. I think that is it. Simmer this as slow and low as you can -- NO BOIL! It will keep your stock clean and fresh. No foam. Or very little. Skim it off if you get it.

Bone-in chicken breasts gently poaching in chicken stock, water, white wine, fresh veggies and herbs.  They're in there somewhere!

I let the two large split chicken breasts (2.5 lbs. total) go for about 45 minutes or so, GENTLY, then take them from the stock and put them in a bowl to cool. Meanwhile, I have been cutting my veggies. I have: a mirepoix -- 5 carrots, 1 large onion and the rest of the celery, including the leaves. They all cook relatively at the same time, so they are together. Into a bowl and in the holding zone. The next bowl contains some sliced baby bella mushrooms plus one each diced red, orange and yellow pepper. I strain the stock and put it in a bowl Once ALL my ingredients are ready, it is time to put the heat back on. This, in French, is called "mise en place". It generally translates to "get your shit together before you fire the stove". Specifically, it means "all in place".

Mise en place... all my ingredients are together.  I am ready to go!

I re-heat the stock pot after wiping it out with a paper towel, then add some olive oil to coat the bottom with 1/8". Once that is heated, the carrot/onion/celery concoction goes in. Generously season with salt, pepper and then stir to coat. This goes on medium low heat for about 10 minutes before the pepper and mushroom combo goes in. Stir again to blend. My goal here is to cook a LOT of the moisture out of these vegetables. So they are going to cook low for about 20 minutes. No joke. They start to render moisture for the first ten minutes, and then the moisture begins to cook off. Mild carmelization is the key. When they are 15 minutes in and starting to shrink, I hit them with a generous sprinkle of soy sauce, which adds some salty richness. They cook for another 5 minutes. I add the stock while they still have their structural integrity and check the seasoning. It's good. Very good.

All the veggies are in the pot, but they will cook down before being seasoned with soy sauce.  Then we add the stock and the rest of the ingredients in a specific order.

The chicken has been shredded into large pieces, because upon re-heating the soup (leftovers), it WILL break down. That is put in the holding pen as well and will be added in the last 5 minutes. I asked Bob if he wants chicken and noodles or chicken and rice. He wants rice. That is the next step.

I've chosen two jars of different but compatible rice mixes of which I have 3/4 cups of each. They are both going in. Cleaning out the pantry. I add them to a now mildly-simmering stock and vegetable mixture and set the timer for 20 minutes, as they normally cook in 25. When the timer rings I stir -- it looks good -- and I taste the stock. Delicious. The chicken goes in. I am worried about the protein to vegetable ratio so I add a can of white cannelini beans. And at the last minute, because I have it, I add a bag of fresh spinach, let steam for 5 minutes while I bake off some french rolls, stir and serve with fresh grated parmesan on the top. It is fantastic!

A big ol' pot of fabulous. Chicken, rice and vegetable soup with white beans.  Get some crusty bread for sopping and add a ridiculously large handful of best quality parmesan cheese.  Enjoy.

I know the recipe is not precise, but it does not have to be. Trust your gut and use what you have. That is what soup is all about. I started with 2.5 lbs. of chicken, covered with equal parts stock and water plus 1/2 part wine -- enought fluid to cover the chicken, veggies and herbs, and then GENTLY POACH. I cannot stress thie enough. Strain the stock, shred the chicken in large pieces, prep your other ingredients -- whatever you have and are in the mood for -- pasta, potatoes, rice and veggies you like and/or have on hand. I feel like the mirepoix is necessary. Cook the veggies WELL - render the moisture out and get it all tasty! Add stock, check taste, add rice/pasta/potatoes (the rice and pasta will grow 2x, and then more the next day), and when the starch is 90% done, add the chicken, beans (if desired) and spinach (if desired) at the very end. And DO NOT BE STINGY WITH THE PARMESAN!!! If you can, buy good quality and grate it yourself, it matters. Somtimes I cook the rice or pasta separately and add to the bowl and pour the soup over so that the next day it does not take the soup over. But that is no fun, it does not really absorb all the flavor. Just add more boxed stock the next day, the flavor is in there. I now have enough soup for two people for two days, and for about 6 - 12 strangers knocking on the door at any time. It freezes well and I can bring some to my mom or my kids. Best rainy day meal for a sick guy and a cold gal ever!