It’s March 28th and I woke up to snow falling.  It didn’t last long and it wasn’t cold enough to stick, but it was still a chilly day.  I complain about the cold weather frequently, but I have to admit the snow falling was absolutely gorgeous this morning.  We spent the weekend up in the mountains and it was perfect soup weather…so, I’ve been craving soup for several days now.  I’m hopeful that there aren’t too many cold soup days left, but I figured I’d enjoy a hot bowl of soup for dinner while I still can.

A few weeks ago, on a day off from work, I went crazy in the kitchen and made a huge pot of chicken and rice soup.  The soup is a good weekday lunch meal and it freezes really well.  I had one individual portion of soup left in the freezer – Tim had to fend for himself.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 celery ribs, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 quarts chicken stock
1 cup of water
1 cup long grain white rice
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 bouillon cube
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place a soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaf.  Cook and stir for about 6 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.  Pour in the chicken stock and water; bring the liquid to a boil.  Add in the rice and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Dissolve bouillon cube in soup.  Cook on medium-low until the rice is tender, about 30 minutes.  Serve hot with saltine crackers.

Slightly adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod