Lemon Chicken Rice Soup. . .for someone special

2¾# (8) skinned chicken legs
3 quarts of fresh cold water
2t white vinegar

Today, I'm making a quick bone broth.  Bring this to a boil, skim the foam off the top, then drop the temperature to a low simmer. Cook this way for 40 minutes, remove from the heat, put the legs in a strainer over the pot. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bone, set it aside and return the bones to the liquid in the pot.  Simmer this on a VERY low bubble, while moving on to the rest of the prep. This will be strained and added at the end.

While this is cooking, I combined the following ingredients in a small (and then larger) glass bowl: 

1 cup of bone broth
zest of 1 lemon - juice of ½ the lemon

1T black pepper, red and green bell pepper seasoning

1T minced ginger
1T minced turmeric root
1-2T bright, dark green dry dill
3 lg. cloves finely minced garlic
3T chicken soup base
1½c 20 minute white rice
3 lg. cloves of garlic - minced
1 big handful of fresh spinach

~ sliced in thin ribbons

1# of the cooked chicken

Put this bowl aside to 'marinate' and be added at the end.

Using a chopper, finely chop the celery heart, 4 carrots and 1 med. onion. I'm chopping everything small because they need to be soft. This soup is for my sweet Granddaughter who's having all four of her wisdom teeth removed today 😟 so I didn't want big pieces.

Sauté the vegetables in broth or 2T butter, stirring often with a flat edged wooden spoon. When they begin to steam, slowly add water to continue steaming them, so they don't brown or burn.

Add the bowl of seasonings, rice, garlic, spinach, chicken and about 2 quarts of water.  Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes.  Check the flavors, adding more water and soup base if needed.

This is one of my favorite things to make for anyone who's feeling down, sad, overworked, tired, or sick, or in any other way, physically or emotionally stressed. 

It's like love and care in a bowl. . .🥰. . .Lin