Chicken, Mushroom and Rice Soup

 

I’m on day 10 of a 30 day Arbonne cleanse (like Whole30 +Suppliments), and while I have been ruminating about the things I have been really missing (Feta and Gouda), sheepish about the things I couldn’t miss another day and cheated with (Coffee… but I lasted 9 days!..and Alcohol because, kids), I have also really loved the flavorful, whole foods I have been eating that have made me feel so good. (I’ve lost a few pounds but I think my skin looks bright and clear…I’m grasping at some evidence of all this health):

This soup tops that list of good food. Made with leftover organic chicken that I roasted and we ate the night before, organic brown rice, mushrooms (I used baby portabellas which really made it so meaty), and some carrot and leeks, the flavors really combined into such a hearty, rustic, big-flavored soup that I will be eating  long after the cleanse is over.

 

I’ve posted about roast chicken before, but if you haven’t ever tried it here is a big nudge. But you can definitely use rotisserie chicken for this recipe. I make roast chicken the way Queen Ina makes it with lemon and garlic, but you really can’t mess up roast chicken. Put salt, pepper and oil on a cold chicken, add a few flavors and it is always delicious.

I put it in a skillet on a bed of onions and carrots and unlike Julia Child’s method of roast chicken, where you cube the onions and carrots into small chunks simply to flavor the wonderful pan juices only to throw them away, this one left big delicious chunks we could eat with the chicken that were yum.

So…there you go. Two dinners for whole food eating and lots and lots of good food. If you can, make the chicken broth from this roast chicken for bonus points/save $6. It really does add so much flavor. The other nice thing about this dish is it makes quite a bit, and as it sits in the fridge it just gets better and better as the flavors mingle. I just love the subtle perfume flavor of the leeks, and the mushroom tarragon combo is heaven. Plus that roast chicken already has so much flavor from roasting it that every bite is delish.

I am sure the Friday night pizza will help balance all this healthiness for the kids. As of now, my will is staying iron clad with cheese and gluten and bread and sugar but…I’ve been known to waffle. As long as I have a big batch of this soup near me though I think I’ll make it.

Chicken, Mushroom, and Rice Soup (printer version here)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large or 2 small leeks, light parts only, sliced or 1 medium onion cubed

1 cup shredded carrots

2 stalks of celery, sliced

salt & pepper

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 cup rice, uncooked

8 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded chicken, cooked

parsley for garnish

 

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat and saute leeks with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until soft. Add carrots, celery, mushrooms, bay leaves, and tarragon and a pinch more salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in dry rice, coating with oil, then add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on pot (If using leftover precooked rice, just put it in with the broth). Then add shredded chicken, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add parsley for garnish, serve with crusty bread unless you are torturing yourself with a Whole Foods cleanse.