Chicken and Rice Soup

Note: To freeze, cool soup to room temperature; transfer to airtight plastic containers, leaving 1 inch of space. Freeze up to 3 months. When ready to use, place plastic containers upside down under hot tap water to help release frozen blocks of soup. Place blocks in a large saucepan; cover and reheat over medium-low, adding water to thin if necessary. Serve.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), skin removed
• 1 1/2 pounds (9 to 10 medium) carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
• 1 pound (5 to 6 medium) parsnips, peeled and halved crosswise
• 4 celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2 large onions (about 1 pound), halved and sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
• Coarse salt
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 6 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced

• DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large soup pot, combine chicken, carrots, parsnips, celery, onions, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon coarse salt. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Simmer partly covered, occasionally skimming and discarding fat from surface, about 1 hour.
  2. With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove chicken, carrots, and parsnips from pot; set aside. Pour remaining contents of pot through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot; discard solids, and bring broth to a boil. Add rice and white part of scallions. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from bones, and shred into bite-size pieces (discard any fatty or discolored parts). Cut carrots and parsnips into bite-size pieces. When rice is cooked, return chicken, carrots, and parsnips to broth in pot; add green part of scallions. Season generously with 5 to 6 teaspoons coarse salt.