Chickens Soup

I know. It doesn't have to do with Chicken and Rice soup but it is a good photo series.

Okay. First thing is first and that is the WINNER OF THE FIRST MONDAY SOUP HAIKU CONTEST.

This person is someone who is no stranger to poetry. From his first published poems in Folio to beautiful free style raps in car rides, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more.

Ladies and gentlemen, lets give a big hand to Mr. Ziggeh Karp for this quietly powerful master piece:

There comes a time when

everyone must choose, chicken

noodle or chowder?

Sadly, Alayna and I didn't snap any shots of this soup but Alayna did do an incredible job of sending me so many chicken soup cartoons in a row that I began to wonder if she has a chicken soup cartoon fetish thing.

Anyhoot, here she is: Chicken and Rice Soup. It was good. A nice mix of light but filling. This is a soup everyone likes and everyone should master. So get your chicken friends out of the coop and start ringing some necks.

To-Do!

In a side pot, cook 1 cup of rice (white or brown... or even fancy wild rice!) according to instructions

In your soup pot, dice about 6 cloves of garlic and an onion

and sautee in olive oil

(add a few shakes of hot pepper if you are cold and stuffy and feel the need to be revived)

Add chopped carrots (either 3 real carrots or a handful and a half of baby)

and a head or two of broccoli, also chopped

Add a small box of baby bella/cremini mushrooms and/or shitake

(and, if you still have those dried porcinis laying around, you could soak some of those and put in the broth and I think it would be delicious)

Once things are almost all the way soft, add two whole tomatoes, chopped,

and lower the temperature to simmer covered

In a separate covered pan, cook 2-3 boneless/skinless chicken thigh (or breast) cut into bite-sized pieces in olive oil with salt and pepper

When the rice is done cooking add it to the soup pot,

cover everything with chicken broth and bring up the heat

Once the chicken is cooked through, add it to the soup pot

and put in more broth if needed.

Bring to a light boil, and then take the temperature back down

Add a handful and a half of fresh parsley and voila!

Chicken soup for the soul.