That’s a mouthful isn’t it? But it is all those things and more, if you ask my mom. This is the soup she used to fix when one of us was ill because she thought, since she loved it – we all did too! Truth be told, I only developed a taste for any kind of nuts a few years ago – it was then and only then that I began to enjoy eating this wonderful warm and comforting soup. It is especially good on a night like tonight where the temperatures are dipping so low that it hurts your skin for a breeze to blow across your cheeks. Of course, if you do not like nuts just leave out the almonds but it certainly adds to the complex flavor. Also, if you do not want it as rich as this, you can leave out the stick of butter as well.
Ingredients:
1 chicken – you will want a medium stewing hen or you can use a rotisserie chicken minus skin and bones.
1 stick of unsalted butter – that’s 8 Tablespoons
If you use a rotisserie chicken, you will need 7-8 Cups of prepared chicken broth.
1 ¼ Cup uncooked rice
1 ½ teaspoon Basil
1 ½ Tablespoon Parsley flakes
1 twelve ounce can evaporated milk
7-8 Cups water
1 four ounce package of slivered almonds
Chopped green onion for garnish (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
Clean stewing hen by pulling out any pin feathers and washing thoroughly inside and out then pat dry (inside and out) with paper towels.
Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven; pour the water over chicken adding in the stick of butter with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook chicken until tender, remove from heat then pull the chicken from the broth and after it cools remove skin and bones – discard both of those – cutting or shredding meat into bite sized pieces.
If using a rotisserie chicken just skin and debone it then add it to the purchased chicken broth.
Mom never did, but I always strain the broth of any smaultzy looking floaters when I make my own broth.
Wash out the Dutch oven then add the broth back into the pot along with the chicken meat, rice evaporated milk, basil and parsley flakes.
Cook on LOW for about 30 minutes,
or add all ingredients except for almonds to crockpot and cook on high for 1 hour and low for 3 hours, adding the almonds in the last hour.
At the very end, add in the package of almonds saving a few for garnish.
You can’t eat just one bowl and while many people like to eat it with crackers, I prefer a big hunk of sourdough to eat with mine.
One last note about the soup: It freezes beautifully in those Ziploc single serve bowls. I made it recently for mom who has relinquished much of the cooking to me, freezing it all in about 10 of those bowls. Two weeks later, she sent the entire set of bowls home with one of the kids saying she had enjoyed the soup and would like some more please!
Whatever holiday you may celebrate during the winter, I hope it was all you wanted it to be and you were surrounded by those who love you. Happy New Year! Kelli
