Chicken and Rice Soup

[cougars_catnip]

It's a cold snowy day here and I was in the mood for a rich, stick to your ribs soup. This is what I came up with....

Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite size pieces
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
4 tsp. minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion ( do not drain )
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 can Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 med. zucchini, chopped ( optional)
1 c. uncooked rice
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Cook chicken in a pan with the olive oil and butter until browned.
Add garlic and cook chicken for 1-2 minutes longer. Deglaze the pan with a cup of chicken broth, stirring well to dissolve all the brown bits. Move chicken to a pot. Add the pan juices and stir in rest of the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, beans, carrots, rice and herbs. Bring soup to a simmer, cover, and cook for
30 minutes.
After 30 minutes stir in zucchini, and parsley and simmer for 10-12 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with bread and a salad. ( I served this with piping hot corn bread and butter. The corn bread really complements the flavors of the soup. )

Note: If cooking in a crock pot ~ Brown chicken and add it and the rest of the ingredients except zucchini and rice to the pot. Cook on low 2 hours or until chicken is cooked through. Add rice. Cook 30 minutes on high or until rice is tender and cooked through. Add zucchini in the last 10 minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste. This could also be made with Orzo instead of rice.

Comments

[zarhooie]

Oooh that looks amazing! I wonder if it would be good with barley too?

[cougars_catnip]

Oh I am sure it would be. That would substitute nicely for the rice. And it would thicken it up much like the rice did so that it is more stew than soup.

[chimp]

Sounds delicious! :)

[cougars_catnip]

It was and was even better the next day. :)

[jesse_the_k]

Sounds absolutely so rich that it borders on stew. Thanks.

[cougars_catnip]

It was very much a stew by the time the rice thickened it up. And rich really does describe it well. It is very hearty but not heavy if that makes sense.