Chicken Soup With Rice from Scratch

This recipe is from a Pillsbury Classic cookbook and, with a few minor modifications, I wanted to share it. It is a truly home-made with love chicken soup. I am making it today because....I feel a cold coming on and just want to curl up with a steaming bowl of deliciousness!! :-) I suppose you could make this in a crock pot but the thought of a soup pot on the stove is comfort in itself!! (Note: If you prefer noodles to rice, add 1 cup of uncooked egg noodles during last 10 minutes of cooking time).

• Ready In: 3 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2-3  lbs frying chicken, cut up
• 10  cups water (or you can use half chicken broth and half water)
• 1  medium onion, chopped
•  salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme leaves
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  bay leaf
• 6  peppercorns or 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 2  stalks celery, sliced
• 2  carrots, sliced
• 1⁄2 cup  uncooked rice
• 1⁄2 cup  frozen peas
• 1 -2  tablespoon fresh parsley (optional) or 1 -2  tablespoon  sliced green onion (optional)

Directions

1. Combine chicken and water in large pot. Bring to a boil. Skimm off any scum that rises to the top.
2. Reduce heat to med/low; cover and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Add onion, salt, thyme, bay leaf, garlic and peppercorns. Simmer covered for additional 35 to 45 minutes or until chicken falls off the bone.
4. Remove chicken, bay leaf and peppercorns from broth; cool.
5. Remove chicken from bones; cut into bite size pieces.
6. Skim fat from broth. You may want to put broth into the fridge for several hours or overnight. It is easier to remove the fat.
7. Bring broth to a boil. Stir in chicken pieces, celery, carrots and rice - I add a little more onion too. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies/rice are tender. I add the peas for the last 10 minutes. If you are using noodles instead of rice, add uncooked noodles at this stage.
8. Add parsley or green onion if desired.