Lemon Chicken Rice Soup

Have you ever eaten something that was SO good you felt like it put you back in balance - without even knowing you were out of balance? That's how I often feel after I've made a big pot of Lemon Chicken Rice Soup.

I have several variations here, and of course, none quite like the next. I made this one using the vegetable broth I made the other day, which was a darker broth due to the purple onion in my bag of frozen vegetable scraps. It really has a lot of flavor. This soup came together quick, and it's so good, I'll savor every bowlful!

3 carrots

3 stalks celery

a little purple onion

2T butter and EVOO

Sauté these vegetables together until their scents are released and the onion is slightly brown.

Add the rice, stir and keep on the heat until it snaps, adding a couple cups of vegetable broth, a little at a time, to keep everything from sticking to the pot.

⅓-½c Carolina gold rice

~ or any 20 minute white rice ~

2 quarts homemade vegetable broth

Next add the rest of the chopped vegetables shown, stir and let sizzle a minute or two before adding the remainder of the broth.

3/4c purple onion

1/2c bell pepper

5 garlic cloves

Now, stir in the following:

7oz. roasted chicken meat

zest of 1/2 lemon

juice of the whole lemon

fresh ground black pepper

a little salt or garlic salt

2-3T chicken Better Than Bouillon

Bring this to a low simmer, check the flavors and make any necessary adjustments. This would be a great soup to make for someone fighting a virus, or to keep the viruses away. . .Lin

A Big Pot of Vegetable Broth

It's a cool, rainy Saturday, here at The BIG Lake. . .not like yesterday afternoon when I took this photo.

As I was packing food from home, to bring for the week, I saw that my freezer bag of vegetable scrap bags was full. Since I was bringing frozen, previously roasted chicken, for chicken salad, I brought the scraps along. I'll have more than enough chicken for a salad -and- a pot of chicken-rice-vegetable soup. 

1 full gallon zip-type bag of vegetable scraps

10± cups of fresh cold water

1t thyme or rosemary leaves

2t Stonemill Table Blend salt-free seasoning

Put everything in a 5-6 quart pot and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for an hour or two. Strain out all the solids, check the flavors and add anything you might need to enhance the flavors.

I added 3T low sodium chicken Better Than Bouillon.

Refrigerate this and use within about 5 days. Or, heat it to boiling, pour it into clean mason jars, add the lid, screw on the ring and listen for it to seal with a >-ping-< This will keep it fresh a little longer, but I still store mine in the 'fridge just to be safe. You can also freeze it in heavy freezer bags or other type freezer containers. . .Lin

Steamed Turkey - Two Ways - Soup & Salad

Turkey-Wild Rice - Split Pea Soup

2½# skinned boiled-steamed turkey breast

2T sunflower-coconut oil

2+c chopped celery + tops

5 lg. cloves minced garlic

1 med. onion - chopped

2 carrots scrubbed - chopped

1c wild rice

¾c split peas

32oz. homemade vegetable broth

¼c basil pesto

2T coriander (cilantro) chutney

Skin the breast and cut away any fat.  Steam in a covered frying pan with about an inch of water, slowly, until a fork that's been poked into the thickest part, to the bone, comes out easily.  An hour or longer.  Remove and put on layers of paper towel to cool and drain.  

Meanwhile, in a 5qt. pot, combine the rest of that group of ingredients on medium heat.  Stir-saute' until the onions become a little translucent and the rice starts to sizzle snap.  Add the peas and the vegetable broth, simmer on low at least an hour until the peas and rice are tender.  Add the pesto, chutney and about 1½# of sliced-cubed turkey.  Heat to a simmer again and serve.  After a day or so, the liquid all absorbs and this becomes Turkey-Wild Rice - Split Pea Casserole 😀 . . . Lin

Turkey Salad

1# of small diced turkey

1c finely diced celery

⅓c drained capers

⅓c chopped sweet pickles

2T dried onion

a little sour cream

enough sriracha mayonnaise to hold it together

Mix well and chill an hour to infuse the turkey with the flavors.  Serve on a bed of butter lettuce leaves. . .Lin