Trixie’s Delectable Chicken and Rice Soup

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I love to cook and bake.  I'm not much into fancy foreign cuisines though.  I just love to make the food that I grew up eating, and make it extremely well.  I try new things, but always end up back with "comfort food" before long.

This recipe is one I wrote.  My mother-in-law was under the weather, and we've all heard the stories of the mysterious healing qualities of home-made chicken soup so I set out to make a good, rich, pot for her.  Well, I could remember a little of this and that from watching my Grandmother and my Mother cook chicken soup on those chilly winter days so I drew some of it from my memory, applied my own knowledge of cooking, and added the results of a couple of trial and error runs to get this end product.  I hope you'll make it and I hope you enjoy it.


Trixie’s Delectable Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients:

2 carrots, rough chopped (med chunks)             

2 lg stalks of celery, chopped                               

1 small onion, rough chopped                                          

1 ½ to 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces                     

2 cloves garlic, minced fine                                  

2 Tbs butter (the real thing please)                                

3 tsp chicken bouillon granules                           

1 - 14½ oz can of chicken stock/broth

3 to 4 cups water (to cover chicken)

1 ½  cups long grain rice (not Minute rice)

2 Tbs poultry seasoning

¼ cup cornstarch & water to mix

1 - 14½ oz can condensed cream of chicken soup

Salt and Pepper to taste (note you won’t need much salt)

Note – Sometimes I replace the rice with a firm pasta, such as spiral or elbow macaroni

Directions:

Put water on to boil in a LARGE stockpot.  Drop in the bouillion and poultry seasoning.  When the water comes to a full boil, carefully add the chicken pieces and broth (add more water here if needed to completely submerge chicken).  Cover and boil for about 20 minutes. (This makes a rich stock).  Meanwhile, preheat a sauté pan and melt the butter.  When the butter is hot, add carrots, celery and onion.  Sauteé the vegetables 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions become translucent.  Salt and pepper the vegetables to taste.  Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic.  Remove from heat.  Take the chicken pieces out of the stock pot and set aside to cool slightly, and then dump the veggies into the stock.  Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes.  In the mean time, de-bone the chicken and add it back to the soup.

Mix ¼ cup cornstarch with about ¹/₃  cup water to make a slurry.  Stir the slurry into the soup and return to a full boil.  Add the cream of chicken soup and stir until it is completely incorporated into your soup.  Add the rice* and stir, cook over medium heat (at a low boil) for 20 to 30 minutes until rice is completely cooked stirring often.

*If you prefer pasta, use a firmer variety and cook only about 10 to 15 minutes until pasta is tender.

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