Chick 'n Rice Soup

I first had chicken and rice soup deep in the South, and it was the most soothing and comfortable soup I'd ever tasted. Here's a recipe for a soup that's easy to make, easy to digest, and easy to enjoy. Eat it when fall or winter blows in, when you want something warm and comfortable!

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup white wine
1-1/2 cups chopped, skinned chicken meat, thighs or breasts
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup peas
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
2 tsp minced fresh sage
2 tsp minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup soy creamer ( optional)
1 tsp salt (to taste)

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook until the onion in translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine if the onion starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, or add it after the onion has cooked. Add the chicken, and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the chicken is just cooked. Add the carrots, peas, rice, and chicken broth to the pot. Add about half of the sage and parsley, then cook the soup until the carrots are tender crisp, about an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add the soy creamer, if using. Taste the soup, and add salt as needed. Serve in bowls, and garnish with the remaining sage and parsley.

Serves 4

Stealthy Cooking Tip: Use leftover cooked rice as a time saver. I used a mixture of brown rice and wild rice. The brown rice almost melts into the soup, acting as a thickener. Brown rice has more fiber than white rice, so it's the rice I prefer. When salting liquids, I use a quick dissolving salt, like Diamond Crystal's Kosher Salt. Add a little salt, taste, then add more salt and taste again, until you have the salt you need.