Monday, April 26, 2010

Comfort Chicken Soup with Rice and Spinach

Nourishing and nurturing, this is a delicious soup for lunch or dinner.


Ingredients:
~ 2 tsp. olive oil
~ 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless white-meat chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
~ salt and pepper
~ 1 med. sized onion, finely chopped
~ 1/2 cup short-grain white rice
~ 5 cups chicken broth
~ 1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, tough stems removed, rinsed well, drained and roughly chopped to yield about 5 cups
~ 1/2 tsp ground cumin
~ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Heat the oil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan over med-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until the chicken pieces have turned white and are just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the onion to the saucepan and cook, stirring, over med-high heat until it begins to soften, 2-3 minutes. Return the chicken to the saucepan, add the rice and broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to med-low, partially cover the saucepan, and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 min. Stir in the spinach and continue cooking 5 min. longer. Add the cumin and nutmeg and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

NOTE: As this soup stands and cools, it thickens; add some broth or water (1/2 cup at a time) before reheating. Makes 6 servings. 151 calories, 2.4 grams of fat. A "Saved by Soup" recipe.