Hearty Heart-Smart Chicken Soup

Just because I'm feeling a little under the weather, I wanted to post a hearty, healthy chicken soup recipe. It feeds 6-8 people, so that means it's the perfect recipe to share with friends, or that cute guy you've been eying for the last month, when you invite him over for dinner!

Hearty Heart-Smart Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (leftover holiday turkey works well, too)
• 1 quart (4 cups) chicken stock
• 1 quart (4 cups) of water
• 1 cup of cooked brown or white rice
• 1 large onion, chopped (red onions will add a slightly sweeter flavor than white or yellow)
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 4 stalks of celery, washed thoroughly and chopped (no need to remove the strings)
• 1 tsp dried, crushed rosemary (grind it if possible to fully release the flavor)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup peeled, chopped carrots (the skins can be a little bitter)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cut green beans
• A dash or two of hot sauce
• 2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. powdered chicken stock
• 1 cup uncooked wide noodles

Directions:
Stage 1

• Chop the onion and celery and put half of each into the pot with the liquids and the other half in a bowl to be covered and refrigerated. 
• Chop the carrots and put them in the bowl with the celery and onion. Cover and refrigerate. 
• To the pot, add the rice, garlic, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about an hour on low, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking. 
• Uncover the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes. You may need to turn the heat back up to keep it boiling. Stir it a few times. It should be thickening nicely at this point.

Stage 2

• Put the remaining onion and celery along with the carrots and the green beans into the pot. Add the hot sauce, lemon juice, and the powdered chicken stock. Stir, then cover and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stage 3

• Pour the noodles and chicken into the pot, then cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Taste it to check seasoning and add pepper and salt to taste.

This soup feeds 6 to 8 as a main dish and also freezes very well. Serve it with some whole grain bread or rolls.