Chicken and Rice Soup

As my posts come to an end, I decided to make the classic home style chicken soup everyone loves and adores. I grew up eating a similar recipe throughout my childhood. My family loves this particular dish and we enjoy it constantly. As Carla Snyder mentions in the book, an amazing tip for seasoning your soup is with a little acid, for example, with a lemon. This really heightens the flavors in the soup instead of using the common salt or pepper. Throughout these few months I believe I've really improved my culinary skills, with even more practice I hope to improve even significantly more. If you're looking for an amazing chicken soup recipe, feel free to use Snyder's delicious recipe below.


Recipe (Serves 10)

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
16 cups chicken stock
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalk, roughly chopped
4 chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 sprigs fresh thyme
5 cups cooked white rice
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, bring chicken and stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Partially cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F, about 45 minutes. Skim the soup if any scum develops on the surface.
2. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a large plate and let cool slightly. Remove skin and bones and discard. Shred the meat into bite size pieces. Set aside.
3. Skim the fat from the surface of the stock with a large spoon and return to a simmer over medium heat. Add carrots, potatoes, celery, onion and thyme; simmer until vegetables are softened, about 15 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs. Return chicken to the pot and stir in noodles, parsley and lemon juice; increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Put 1/2 cup of rice into bowl and ladle soup on top.

Snapshot of my bowl

Snyder, Carla, and Meredith Deeds. 300 Sensational Soups. Toronto: R. Rose, 2008. Print.