The Best Chicken and Rice Soup

This soup is loaded with fresh garlic and ginger, which are both great for supporting the immune system. That’s especially important this time of year. Creamy rice and fresh lemon and spinach add brightness and help nourish the bones (and the soul) during winter. This is another of my favorite recipes from Run Fast, Eat Slow by Shalane Flanagan and Elyse Kopecky.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 carrots, sliced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoons sea salt (you can leave this out if broth is not low-sodium)

8 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

1/4- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on your spice preference)

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast and/or thighs

1 cup short-grain brown rice

3 cups fresh packed spinach

1 cup chopped parsley leaves

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cooking Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute.

Add the broth, chicken and rice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked and rice is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot, place on a cutting board and shred chicken.

Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the spinach, parsley and lemon juice. If the soup is too thick, add additional water or broth. Add additional salt and pepper if desired.

Serves 5.