A lazy Sunday afternoon - what else could fit more perfectly than a walk around Greenlake with my husband and homemade soup for dinner? Let me begin by saying chicken & rice soup is the easiest thing in the world to make, minus prep time. Start by pre-making some brown rice and cooked chicken at the same time, set aside chicken after it's cooked. While those are cooking, chop up whatever you want in the soup - I chose celery, carrots, garlic, onions, and whole sprigs of herbs. I felt so happy & content standing in my kitchen, chopping veggies and sipping tea.
It reminded me how much I love to cook from scratch although I have been neglecting it since school began again in September. As a therapist in training, all I hear is "practice selfcare!" This is often more difficult than the act of counseling itself, because making time to do things that bring you back to the core of your being requires time and energy. Grad students usually have neither.
Back to the soup! So cut up those veggies and throw them in the pot with the rice and a whole container of Pacific brand chicken broth, let simmer. Cut up cooked chicken into little pieces, add to the pot. At this point you can decide how much broth to add, depending on how much broth you prefer. Let the pot cook on low for as long as you'd like. While waiting, you could prepare a side dish to the soup with anything you happen to be craving. I happened to have been craving biscuits and starchy, gluten goodness. But alas, no. Cornbread would do. I wish my house could always smell like a big, fragrant pot of soup and cornbread baking in butter.
