First Day of Spring. Bea's Chicken Soup Still In Order.

It's the first day of Spring but it's still pretty chilly here in Beantown. Perfect day to make a nice big pot of Bea's Chicken Soup. Bea is my mom and her chicken soup is everything you would expect from someone who's been cooking heavenly meals for large crowds for decades. Hearty, delicious, better the second, third and fourth day you eat it and most importantly, plentiful. We are in the presence of greatness here. Thank you, Bea, for doing us the honor of sharing your recipe with us. You can return the favor to Bea by trying the recipe and posting your results on this page.

Happy Spring to you, Bea, and to all. We're almost out of the woods!

Bea's Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 small chicken (3 1/2 - 4lbs)
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1 packet of instant chicken broth (Herb ox instant broth & seasoning recommended)
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup rice
1/4 cup white wine (or vermouth in a pinch)
1/2 cup spaghetti or the noodle of your choice (optional)

How to:

1. Rinse the chicken and put it in a large stock pot. Cover with water and boil for 1 hour.
2. Remove chicken, set aside to cool slightly. Pour broth through a sieve into another large stock pot.
3. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, 1 packet of chicken broth, salt, pepper and bay leaf to the broth. Cook 20 minutes.
4. Then add 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 cup white wine and the chicken, skinned and pulled (I prefer the rustic chunks) or cut up in bite size pieces. Cook another 20 minutes.
5. In the final 5 - 7 minutes, you can add in the spaghetti, egg noodles or any other noodle you like. I put egg noodles in this batch.

Serve immediately. Warm up instantly. A nice slice of bread and butter is the perfect accompaniment. Enjoy!

NOTE: Make sure the soup has cooled to room temperature before refrigerating.