Feng Shui Soup

I seem to be on a roll with soups these days. I gotta get this one down before I forget it! The basics of this recipe are chicken broth, chicken, wild rice, mushrooms, onion, green beans, and parsley.

I'm feeling the need for soups because:

* it's getting cold out
* soup is cheap
* the temps are dropping
* I need to save money
* it's soup-eating weather
* soup lasts a long time
* not sure what else, except I know it has to do something with weather and saving money!

Last week I really enjoyed my Mighty Boosh Soup, so this week I figured I'd try again with whatever I have in the fridge. Success!

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves (one will be saved to eat for dinner over the next night)
small amounts of butter
olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

Lundberg Wild Rice
1 celery stalk
1 medium onion
1 tsp dried thyme
1 inch sprig rosemary (or a bit of dried)
half handful parsley
10 or so baby bella (brown) mushrooms
handful of green beans
3 cups of hot water
1 box (32oz) chicken broth (organic prefered)

Prepare the wild rice. If you are like me and buy the Lundberg rice in bulk but forget how to cook it (well) then check out Lundberg's website. It's always available (plus it's pretty to look at and got some great recipes). I use one cup of chicken broth and one cup of water to 1 cup of rice.

While rice is cooking, heat up a bit of butter and olive oil in your favorite big soup pot. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and cook in big pot...at first on medium heat. When they are golden on one side, turn chicken breasts and turn the heat on low. PUT THE LID ON! I tell you, people, this is the best way to cook chicken breasts (with the lid on). You'll never have tough chicken breast again!

While chicken breast is gently cooking away, chop up the onion. Chop it up however you like to eat your onion! I like to cut the onion opposite of everyone else (because I'm that way). The slices lay nicely in the spoon for me! Chop up the celery.

If you've poked the chicken with a fork and the juices ruin clear, they are done. Take them out immediately and set aside so as to not over-cook. You've got a nice glaze at the bottom of that pot, now use it! Put a bit of water in the bottom to dislodge the glaze (this is called deglazing). Add your onions and celery. Gently cook.

OK...first of all, I've read about mushroom soup recipes. What's the deal with chopping or pureeing the hell out them? Yeeeesh....cooking doesn't need to be THAT strenuous. Please just gently clean your mushrooms and slice them neatly. And yes! Slice with the stem on! This will turn out to be a very nice looking mushroom in your soup. I love a mushroom's natural look. Chop up the parsley while you are in a chopping mood.

Time to add the 3 cups of hot water! Salt to taste. I like to use sea salt. Add thyme, rosemary, mushrooms, and parsley.

Your rice is probably just about done so turn that off and let the rice sit for a good 5 or 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can clean and slice up the green beans. Add them to the pot. Add the remaining chicken broth.

OK...you've got a really really good pot of lots of delicious, nutritional stuff! Cut up the chicken in smallish bits and add that to your soup. Be careful to have your soup's heat on LOW. You don't want to overcook everything. Add the chicken and now add a couple of ladle-fuls of rice.

All this soup needs is for it to be heated thoroughly. No more cooking needed unless you want your green beans more cooked. I like mine a bit crunchy.