I have long been a fan of Lemon Chicken Rice Soup, and around here there are many varieties that are served in restaraunts and I can't seem to duplicate, because they are so very creamy. The recipes that I have stolen from my girlfriend, the internet and from various cookbooks have all been delicious, but time consuming.
This is my rendention of Lemon Chicken Rice Soup, cheater's style, one that you don't have to cook until your eyeballs bug out and one that doesn't have you grinding up seventy lemons to get a cup of juice.
First, take about two or three chicken breasts and cover with water and simmer the heck out of them. De-bone them, be extra careful, because my husband swears I save a few tiny chicken bones just to choke him with, but I try very hard not to. Be sure to save the chicken water, which is a slight broth now.
Put the chicken back into the broth, add a few cans (14oz. cans or one large 32 oz box of Swanson's chicken broth)
Dice 2 stalks of celery really thin, add to the chicken and broth mixture. Bring to a simmer again.
Add about three cups of bottled lemon juice (you can juice real lemons if you have them growing outside on your own trees or if you are a glutton for punishment, otherwise, this is part of the cheater part)
Add salt and pepper to taste. (Again with the pepper! I know!)
Cook 1 and 1/2 cups of long grained rice as directed on package. Don't use Minute Rice, it gets too soggy.
Add rice to the chicken soup that forming, right before your very eyes.
Add a cube of chicken broth (or a few tablespoons of Knorr chicken broth powder - a secret ingredient of mine, you can purchase this powdery delight in the Mexican section of your supermarket, it's flavorful, but full of sodium so be prepared if you are on a low sodium diet, less is more here)
Now, here's the really cheater part. Add a can of condensed CREAM of chicken soup. This thickens the watery soup and adds more flavor. If it still isn't thick enough, add another can, but remember, after the soup sits with the rice in it, the rice will absorb the liquid and your soup, while tasty, gets pastie.
Please taste it now, if it's not peppery or lemony enough, add more lemon juice or more pepper.
Love it! The next day, if there is any left, you may have to add another can of broth and a little bit of milk to thin it out and not loose the flavor.
I serve it with crusty French bread. We eat alot of crusty breads with our soup.
I can hook you up with long, drawn out Chicken Lemon Rice recipes, but this is quick and easy and still gets the soup on!
2 comments:
You don't put celery in lemon rice.
Well. (to the comment above)
A few chicken bones to choke on is how you know the soup is homemade, doncha know! Man, this recipe must make a ton o'soup! Sounds good.
We almost always some kind of crusty bread with our soups, sometimes French, sometimes artisan whole grain, sometimes cornbread. Ya gotta have it!
As for cheating with cream of fill-in-the-blank soup, show me a can and I'll show you the start of a great meal! You go, girl!
Post a Comment