Portuguese Chicken Soup (Canja)

Virtually every culture on Earth has a style of making chicken soup that they can call their own, and in Portugal it involves rice, lemon, and mint. Adapted from Worldwide Recipes.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 6 -8  cups  chicken stock
• 1  lb chicken piece
• 1  onion, thinly sliced
• 4  sprigs parsley
• 1  the lemon, zest of, cut in thick strips
• 1⁄2 cup  uncooked rice or 1⁄2 cup tiny pasta, shape
• 1⁄4 cup  chopped mint leaf, plus additional (to garnish)
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice (to taste)
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
•  lemon slice (to garnish)

Directions

1. Combine the chicken stock, chicken pieces, onion, parsley, and lemon zest in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer covered until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
2. Remove the chicken pieces and cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the skin and bones and cut or tear the meat into small pieces.
3. Strain the soup through cheesecloth (muslin) and discard the solids. Return the stock and meat to the pot and add the rice, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves.