Simple Chicken Soup

Yesterday my mom came down with a nasty cold. I love helping people, especially through food, so I decided to head over to her house and make her some chicken soup. I mean, who doesn't want soup when they're feeling crappy?

This recipe is seriously so easy and delicious, you can add things you like or replace things you don't. Soup is so versatile, there is so much you can do with it and its so easy to tweak to make it your own.

ALSO, so many times when I have been at my moms house I find something that I can't live without, like the adorable mugs that I served the soup in. My mom is so generous, anytime I even hint at liking something she insists I take it, like her old vintage glassware that I can't wait to inherit once I have the space for it! I think it is so fun to go through old stuff, so many things are coming back into style and vintage is so popular now.. the easiest way to find "vintage" is to raid family nick-naks!
- If they are willing! -

Back to the soup - 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 32oz can/box of chicken broth
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice
• Salt and pepper
• Celery salt (optional)

This recipe is so simple.

 Empty the chicken broth into a pot over medium/high heat, add the diced onion, celery, and carrot. Add salt and pepper. You can cook the chicken a million different ways but the easiest way to do it is to put the raw chicken breast into the hot broth and cook it in the broth for 15 minutes on medium heat, this keeps it nice and moist and adds flavor as well. Add salt and pepper again once you add the chicken to the soup, remember to flavor every layer of your cooking! Remove the chicken breast and shred it with a fork. Bring the broth and veggies back to a hard simmer, uncovered for about 5 minutes.

Then add the rice - I like to use the packs of brown rice that cook in the microwave in 90 seconds. They are so easy and cooking the rice separately keeps the soup nice and brothy, because the rice isn't soaking up all the liquid as it cooks. 

Place the shredded chicken back into the soup.

Serve and Enjoy!

If the soup isn't looking brothy (is that a word? well it is now ;)!) enough for you, you can add more chicken stock or you can add water and season it with salt, pepper, and celery salt.

I also found this "roasted garlic" loaf of bread at the store, I toasted and buttered it to serve along with the soup. It was the perfect lunch and my mom is feeling better already!