October is the fourth-annual Dining Month on OnMilwaukee.com. All month, we're stuffed with restaurant reviews, delicious features, chef profiles, unique articles on everything food, as well as the winners of our "Best of Dining 2010."
Last year during Dining Month, I shared some of my favorite recipes from my great-grandmother.
With the temperatures dropping around Milwaukee and the wind kicking up a notch, I thought this might be the perfect time to share my all-time favorite "Oma recipe:" her homemade chicken and rice soup.
Growing up, this was a real treat for my brother, sister and myself. We'd come home from school, open the front door and catch a whiff of Oma's work from upstairs.
Today, as I continue to get more comfortable in my own kitchen, I love whipping up a batch of this delicious soup and find myself reminiscing on my childhood as it's distinctive aroma fills my own home.
This is truly my old-world specialty. As is often the case with family dishes, Oma was never able to give me specific measurements. So, I have mastered the "little of this, little of that" method but I haven't been able to completely capture Oma's signature taste.
Next time you have a little extra time and a hankering for some chicken soup, give this recipe a try. Again, what it lacks in exact measurements it makes up for with expansion ability: you can shrink it down for yourself, or expand on it to feed your family or fill the fridge with leftovers that will last a week.
Either way, good luck ... and guten apitet!
CHICKEN WITH RICE SOUP
Ingredients
- One tomato
- One green pepper
- ½ medium onion
- Six carrots
- 2 parsnips
- 3 whole cloves
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chicken (can be whole chicken, quartered or legs)
Directions
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper then place in large stockpot, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Add water until chicken is covered, bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat then add tomato, pepper and onion. Cover and cook for 30-45 minutes.
- In a separate pot, bring two cups of rice to a boil then reduce heat until rice is fully cooked.
- Add peeled parsley flakes, carrots and parsnips to soup pot, bring to boil then cover and simmer for another 20-30 minutes.
- Remove chicken, pepper and tomato. Allow meat to cool, then cut into small pieces. Before returning meat to soup, remove carrots and parsnips.
- Add meat back into broth then cut carrots into thin slices. Chop parsnips and return both to broth and meat mixture, stirring well. Add rice when cooked.
