Chicken and Rice Soup

Ingredients

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
6 cups of water
One-half onion, quartered
One-half green bell pepper, quartered
One-half stalk celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
One-half teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup minced onions
One-half cup minced green bell peppers
One-half cup minced celery
One-fourth cup minced red bell peppers
One-fourth cup diced carrots
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
One-half teaspoon white pepper
5 cups chicken broth
Three-fourths cup raw rice
One-half cup sliced green onions
One-fourth cup minced parsley

Instructions

Combine the chicken, water, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook for 50 minutes. Strain the mixture, reserving 5 cups of the chicken stock. Chill the chicken to cool, then de-bone and dice. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the onions, green bell peppers, celery, red bell peppers, carrots, garlic and thyme leaves, and cook over high heat for five minutes. Add the reserved chicken stock and chicken broth, onion powder, garlic powder, and white pepper. Bring to boil. Add the rice and simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add the diced chicken, green onions, parsley and simmer for additional 5 minutes.

Makes about 2 gallons