Cold Weather Cooking

With the temps diving below freezing and into the teens, I start to think about a hot bowl of hearty soup. Tonight, I worked my way through the fridge and came up with this dish to combat the chill. I hope you enjoy it!

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

2 cups jasmine or basmati rice

½ gallon whole milk

2 quarts rich chicken stock

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 large yellow onion

1 whole pod garlic

1 bunch celery

2 medium zucchini

1 bunch broccoli

1 bunch green onions

2 Tbsp. mushroom base*

3 boneless chicken breasts

2 tsp. Ivy & Devine Poultry Spice Blend

Salt

Pepper

Paprika

Tabasco hot sauce

Prep

Roughly chop onions, celery, zucchini and broccoli. Finely chop green onions. Cube chicken into 1” pieces and season with Ivy & Devine Poultry Spice Blend. Slice ¼ inch from the top of the garlic, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and wrap in foil. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook

Place foil wrapped garlic on center rack of the hot oven. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil and when the oil is hot, add onions and cook until translucent. Add rice and stir until each grain is coated with oil. Add remaining vegetables (not green onions) and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add enough stock to cover rice and vegetables.

While the rice is simmering, in a separate skillet, brown seasoned chicken pieces in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil until colored on both sides. Transfer browned chicken to pot with rice, vegetables and stock. Add more chicken stock and raise temperature to medium-high until the liquid just starts to boil. Reduce heat back to medium.

Remove garlic from oven and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the stock pot. Add mushroom base.

When the rice is soft, reduce heat to low and add remaining stock and enough milk to fill the pot nearly to the top. Continue cooking until all of the liquid is hot. Season to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Plate

Ladle soup into a large bowl and sprinkle the top with chopped green onions and paprika.

(Serves 8 to 10)

* I like a brand called Better than Bouillon.