One of my other joys in life, besides foster kittens, is cooking.  I'm no chef - I just like to make food that tastes yummy!  This weekend I made One Hour Chicken Soup.  Funny think is I'm not really a soup fan.  I don't care for beef soups, or tomato based soups, or vegetable or bean soups.  That doesn't leave much I know.  I do like chowder and I enjoy a nice cream soup once in awhile (I make a mean Butternut Squash soup!) and I love Chicken and Rice soup, particularly my Nana's Chicken with Rice soup.

Have you ever made chicken soup from scratch?  First, you have to plan to have a chicken dinner one night during the week  because you need the carcass for the soup.  Then you have to boil the carcass with some veggies and herbs to make the broth; then you have to strain the broth, discard all the solids, and refrigerate the broth overnight.  The next day you skim the fat off the cold broth, throw in some fresh veggies and herbs, and simmer until the veggies are soft.  Oh, and let's not forget making all those teeny, tiny meatballs if you are making Italian Wedding Soup.  Add in the leftover chicken from dinner the night before and some cooked, white rice and Presto! 2-Day Chicken Soup! Now, I love my Nana but 2 days? I can't
wait that long!  I'm hungry now!

A few years ago my friend Julie and I went to a 1-night cooking class sponsored by Andover Adult Ed. 
The boisterous Italian woman that taught the class made 2 recipes that night.  She wasn't the best teachers but her recipes were keepers!  She made an Italian Beef Stew, which I will share some other time, and a 1-Hour Chicken Soup.  I have made some changes to the original recipe and now it is one of my all-time favorites!  Try it and see what you think.

One Hour Chicken Soup

4 qts. water
3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
1 Tbsp. salt
3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 14 oz. can Petit Diced Tomatoes
3 c. white rice, cooked separately
3/4 tsp. ground pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Grated Parmesan


Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the chicken and the salt.  Return to a slow boil and cook until fat comes to the surface, 20-30 minutes.  The fat looks like foam around the edge of the pot. Skim it off and discard it.  Reduce the soup to a simmer and add the  carrots, celery, onion, and tomatoes.  Simmer until
vegetables are al dente, another 20-30 minutes.  Add spinach, pepper and cooked rice.  Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.  Serve with a garnish of grated cheese.

Chicken thighs are what give the broth it's great chicken flavor.  Cubed chicken breast can be used instead of thighs for a milder chicken flavor.  The diced tomatoes and the spinach can be omitted if you would rather have a more traditional chicken soup.  I do sometimes leave the tomatoes out but I really like the spinach.  if you prefer you can substitute chopped fresh escarole for the spinach.  I like rice in my soup but my mom likes pasta.  Feel free to use your favorite carbohydrate (pastina is nice too) but make sure you cook it before adding it to the soup.  If you cook the rice in the soup it will absorb too much of the broth and you will be stuck with chicken rice pudding!  Enjoy!