Chris’s Magical Chicken & Rice Soup

This past Tuesday was just like any other day; I took Ivan to school, went to work, picked him up and came home.  Somewhere on the ride home, however, I started to feel a little less than awesome.  My nose started to run, I could not stop sneezing and my head started to hurt a little.  By the time I woke up Wednesday morning I was officially “sick”.

Sometime after I sent angry text messages to friends that had recently had colds, Chris sent me a message asking me what I would like for dinner.  My appetite and my mood were both pretty lousy so I made the smart-aleck reply that I just wanted to get home and hook myself up to a “whiskey and chicken soup IV”. 

Fortunately for me, Chris did not take the IV part of my comment seriously but she did decide that chicken soup was a good idea and might be a healthy, medicinal dinner selection.  We went to the store straight from work and she got busy in the kitchen as soon as we got home.  I was not up for taking notes on the process so here is the recipe straight from the chef…

Prep

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
6-8 cups of water
1 cup uncooked brown rice (follow package instructions)

Cook It Up 

Brown chicken, remove from pan
Add vegetables, cook for about 2-3 minutes
Season with a little S&P
Chop the chicken and add to veggies
Add water and simmer for 20 minutes
Add Kale and simmer for about 10 minutes

While the chicken is browning, cook your rice separately.

Serve some rice in a bowl and spoon the soup over. 
Serve with a piece of crusty whole grain bread.

So, there is her recipe but I think she is holding out on us.

I mean, the above recipe captures the tangible ingredients she used.  Even in my congested, taste-compromised condition, this was one of the richest, most flavorful chicken and rice soups I have ever had.  The chicken was cooked perfectly, the rice made the meal hearty and filling, and the garlic and ginger added that little something extra that separated this from the boring, bland chicken soups we are accustomed to having when we are under the weather.  Her recipe explains all of this but I get the sense that she is holding something back…

I swear she put in magic.

I had a bowl and a half of this soup accompanied by a healthy serving of Evan Williams Kentucky Bourbon (also consumed conventionally without the aid of an IV).  This morning I woke up feeling 10,013 times better.  Sure, my nose is still a little runny but my sore throat, sneezing and unbearable sinus pressure are all completely gone.  I have never gone from “Oh my God, I feel like garbage” sick to “Hey, I could go for a run right now” healed over night.  While I am an experienced bourbon consumer and am aware of its own magical healing powers when under the weather, the only real explanation for my miraculous recovery has to be the soup.

So after years of mystery, there you have it.  If my wife is being completely honest about her recipe, then I present to you the cure for the common cold.  The above recipe (plus a few too many whiskey drinks) holds the key to the cure that has eluded doctors since the beginning of time.  Our pictures will probably grace the covers of national medical and science journals but you can say you heard it here first.  Enjoy!

NOTE: You do not have to be sick to make this soup.  Ivan and Chris thoroughly enjoyed it as well, even without runny noses.

Tuesday I worked in the "clean room" at a local plastics factory and I had to wear a "beard net" along with my hairnet and smock.  It is possible that this torturous device was poisoned and led to my falling ill later in the day.  It is a shame because I sure looked awesome....