Roasted Chicken and Rice Soup

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Servings: 6

1 lb roasted chicken shredded or chopped. Keep thigh bone to simmer in soup.
¾ cup short grain rice, washed and drained
¼ cup olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced into half moons
3.5 oz shitake mushrooms cleaned and ends trimmed
3.5 oz beechwood mushrooms cleaned, based removed and broken off into smaller pieces
2 tbsp thyme leaves
6 cups water
3 bay leaves
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper
lemon wedges for serving
freshly chopped italian parsley for serving

Heat soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Sauté onions, celery and carrots until tender.
Toss in garlic, mushrooms, thyme leaves in the pot and mix to combine. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and let mushrooms cook until tender.
Add water, rice, bay leaves and salt to the pot and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked. Stir the pot occasionally.
Once rice is cooked, take out thigh bone, bay leaves from pot and discard. Stir in chicken, reduce heat to medium low, place cover on pot and simmer for additional 15 minutes, stirring the pot occasionally.
Serve immediately with fresh ground pepper, chopped parsley and lemon wedges.