Hearty Chicken + Rice Soup

It’s finally fall! I’ve been dreaming of the beginnings of my favorite season when we began suffering 100+ degree weather combined with 100% humidity. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally here!

Autumn is my favorite season because of all of the beautiful foliage, hearty and warming meals, turtleneck sweaters, and let’s not forget…pumpkins! I’m so excited to decorate with fall colors, visit my favorite pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin, and drive through the apple orchards of North Georgia in search for the best candy apples ever invented!

With less than a week of lower temperatures under our belt, Josh has already succumbed to this year’s first flu and has been lying around the house for the past four days like a sad little mushroom. Unfortunately this has put a damper on our original plans to tromp through the North Georgia mountains – but not to worry, it’s already back on the calendar for next weekend!

Since Josh’s diet has consisted of jello cups and sprite for the past several days, I decided that it was high time for some real nutrition. After scouring the interwebs for a soothing soup, I settled on this chicken and rice soup. It’s simple enough, and I was actually surprised at how quickly it came together. I altered the original recipe slightly – and in my opinion for the better, but you judge for yourself!

Hearty Chicken + Rice Soup
Adapted from Bon Appetit circa 2000 via Epicurious

6 cups of Chicken Broth
2 cups of Water
2 split Chicken Breasts (bone-in, skin-on)
2 whole Chicken Leg quarters (skin-on)
1 ½ Tbs Olive Oil
3 Carrots, sliced on the diagonal into ½ inch pieces (scrubbed, not peeled)
3 Celery Stalks, sliced on the diagonal into ½ inch pieces
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 Bay Leaf

1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed*

Heat the Olive Oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat, and brown the chicken breasts (skin side down first) for three to four minutes on each side and set aside. Follow with browning the leg quarters (skin side down first) for three to four minutes on each side and set aside with the breasts.

While the chicken is browning, slice the Carrots, Celery, and Onion. After you’ve browned the chicken, add in the vegetables and cook over medium high heat for four to five minutes or until the onions are soft. While the vegetables are cooking, remove the skin and any excess fat from the chicken.

Once the Onions have softened, add the chicken back to the pot along with the Chicken Broth, Water, and Bay Leaf. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Every so often, check the soup and skim any foam that has accumulated on the top. Once the chicken is cooked through, remove and set aside to cool.

**This step can be skipped if you’re on a time crunch:
After the chicken has cooked through, turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool at room temperature. Place the entire pot into the refrigerator and cool the soup to the point that the fat solidifies on the top, remove the fat from the top of the soup and place over medium heat and bring back to a simmer.

Remove two cups of the stock and place in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. When at a boil, add in the rice and turn the heat down to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook the rice until tender (approx 15 – 20 min) and add back to the soup.

While the rice is cooking, pull the chicken from the bones and shred or slice into chunks according to your preference.

After the rice has cooked through, add the chicken and the rice back to the main pot with the vegetables.

Serve. And Enjoy!

**I suppose that you could use any rice, I used short grain because it’s what I had on hand.