Soup à la Jane!
I love making soup because unlike dinner or lunch it lasts more than one meal and it is endlessly customizable!
Hot soup on a cold spring day
Case in point: I had on hand a leftover roasted chicken breast, and cooked rice. It was another frigid March day and soup for lunch seemed highly desirable.
A little research produced a recipe from my old standby reference tool, the New York Times Cooking app for Tomato Ginger Chicken and Rice soup et voilà I had a starting point.
The soup was delicious served with homemade cheddar cheese biscuits.
With thanks to recipe writer Ali Slagle here is my easy version: (serves 4)
Yes I’m wearing white pants AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE!
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Tomato, Chicken and Rice Soup
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil or a T of each
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped fine
Salt and pepper
6 cups (1 ½ quarts) chicken broth
cooked boneless chicken breast or thigh chopped - up to a pound but I used less
about a cup and a half of cooked long-grain white rice
1 pint (about 10 ounces) cherry or other small tomatoes, quartered if large
2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
1lime, cut into wedges, for squeezing
Toasted sesame oil or chile oil, for serving or chopped green onions or whatever garnish you think will taste good.
Method
In a large pot or Dutch oven heat the oil/butter over medium heat. Ad the onions, garlic, ginger and tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tomato paste is slightly darker and the vegetables are tender.
Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, the rice and the chicken and simmer another 10 minutes or so.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and add your garnishes - grainy sea salt is also good to serve at the table.
Bon appétit!
