Chicken & Rice Soup

You know I've been on the "love soup" roll lately.

Here's another great soup.

As with most of my recipes, this one is a combination of several recipes.

I blog so I won't forget how I made it.

While everyone else it making Christmas goodies...I'm making soup.

I'm rebellious like that.

(printable recipe at bottom of page)

First, cook 2 chicken breasts and cut into bite size pieces.

Tip: I ususally cook a large bag of frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot and then cut into small pieces and store in the freezer in small bags.

  When you make something like this, you're one step ahead.

Second, cook 1 cup of rice.

1 cup of rice to two cups of water.  

It's the first cooking measurement I memorized.

I've been known to walk around the kitchen saying things like,

 "If one cup of rice takes two cups of water...

how many cups to 1 1/2 cups of rice.....or 2 cups of rice.....or what if I just want 1/2 cup of rice?"

It's an on going math problem.

Dice 2 celery ribs, 2 carrots and 1/2 onion.

Saute these vegs in 2 tbs of melted butter for a couple of minutes.

Unedited photos.........isn't that pretty?

Am I the only one who gets excited over food photography?

Add the chicken to the vegetables and sprinkle with a little salt.

Get out your chicken broth and half & half.

In a large pot, begin making a roux with 4 tbs of butter and 4 tbs of flour.

Using a whisk, add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water.  

Add the pepper and dried basil.

Stir over med heat until thickened.

Slowly add the 1 cup of half & half.

Why slowly?  I don't know.

Be rebellious, add it quickly.

Stir until heated through.

Add the chicken and vegetables.

Add the rice.  Stir until heated through.

Allow to sit for just a few minutes before serving.

It will thicken slightly.

Yummm, it's good.

 You won't be calling someone in a can to thank them for this soup.

Ring, ring...

I even made homemade bread to serve with this soup,
because I am a rebel.
On to the Christmas baking....

Click here for printable recipe