Creamy Chicken, Rice, and Vegetable Soup

Serves 6 – 8 | Looking for quick week night? With a little cabbage added for body, and red pepper for color and sweetness, this IS COMFORT FOOD!

INGREDIENTS:

3 T olive oil
2 very large carrots, washed, trimmed, and diced
2 very large stalks of celery, diced
½ C white sweet onion, diced
½ large red pepper diced
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1/4 C Italian flat leaf parsley rough chopped
½ t each of smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano, coriander powder
1 bay leaf
2 vegetable Knorr bouillon cubes
8 C water
2 C Savoy cabbage, chopped thin
1/3 C jasmine rice
3 C shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works well)
2/3 C heavy cream (half n half works as well)
2 t kosher salt + 1 t black pepper (or adjust to taste)
3 T flour with 2 T water to make a thickening roux

METHOD:

• Bring a large stock pot to high heat and add the oil. When shimmering add the carrots, onion, celery, and pepper. Add about ½ the salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent. Add the garlic and toss until warm. Add the water, bouillon cubes, smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, coriander and bay leaf. Add the chopped cabbage. Bring to a soft boil, cover, lower heat, and cook for 15 minutes.
• After 15 minutes, remove lid and add the jasmine rice, put lid back on and let lightly simmer for another 15 minutes. Then remove lid, add the chicken, and then the roux stirring well, and then the cream and stir until slightly thick with heat turned up to medium. I only mix until all is hot and the soup starts to thicken just a tiny bit. I don’t like my soups gloopy so just pulling the liquid in to be a little less watery is good. Taste and add all or more of the remaining kosher salt and pepper. Add the parsley.
• Serve with crusty bread.