chicken soup with rice

In October I'll be host

To witches, goblins and a ghost

I'll serve them chicken soup on toast

Whoopy once, whoopy twice

Whoopy chicken soup with rice

by M. Sendak

Some years ago, I published a recipe for chicken soup with rice that had several measuring mistakes, so it was high time I reviewed it and updated it - just in time for Chicken Soup Season!

You can use leftover roasted chicken ( and those lovely juices), or just use 2 bone-in skinless breasts that you've poached in the chicken stock , cooled, and cut up or shredded.

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Chicken soup with rice for 3 or 4 people:

3 cups chicken stock

2 medium large carrots, peeled and sliced

2 T. finely minced onion

1 t. thyme

kosher salt to taste

freshly cracked pepper

pinch of hot pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/3 cup Uncle Ben's rice

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Heat the stock in a large pot and poach the chicken breasts gently until just tender. Remove to cool, then chop or shred.

Add the carrots and onion, thyme and hot pepper flakes, then the rice and cook until the carrots are just soft and the rice has cooked and expanded.

Add the chicken meat and cook an additional 10 minutes, then taste carefully before serving, adding salt and pepper as needed. A little parsley or rosemary is nice on top, too.

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It was 29 degrees this morning here - definitely soup weather!