Chicken, Rice, and Greens Soup (a.k.a. The World’s Simplest Soup)

This is a terrific soup to make when you're in the mood for something mild, soothing, nutritious, and easy on the stomach. It's also a quick and easy main dish that would be great for a beginning cook or anyone who wants something healthy (and gluten-free!) in a hurry. This is the chicken soup I make for myself when I'm under the weather, or when I'm busy and need something healthy to heat up for lunch and dinner over the next few days.

Serves 6
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Total Time: 40 min

Ingredients

48 oz. (1.5 quarts) chicken broth, boxed or homemade (I often make broth from the carcass and scraps left over from a roast chicken, and keep it in the freezer for such a use)
1 to 2 cups cooked chicken (I generally use chicken my husband has roasted for another dinner, or rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Any chicken leftovers are fair game!)
Spinach, Swiss chard, kale, or mustard greens, 1/2 to 3/4 lb. (You'll often find greens sold in 1/2-lb. or 3/4 lb. bags at the market, so use whatever is fresh and abundant that day. I prefer to use Swiss chard and/or spinach for this soup, though kale would be a fine replacement for either. Young tender mustard greens would be good choice for the greens-lover who wants a little more zest, or perhaps someone suffering from allergies who needs the sinus-clearing benefits mustard greens can offer.)
1 cup or more cooked rice (I used leftover white rice from the last Chinese dinner I ordered, or leftover white or brown rice that I made at home. Either will work well.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
1 tablespoon or so olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic, optional (If you're using Swiss chard I'd consider this mandatory, but I don't use it when I'm making this soup with spinach. It's totally up to you.)
Optional: Grated parmesan to sprinkle over each serving
Variation: When I have more time I make the slow version of this soup, and for that I use a whole small chicken and cook it in the pot, and add sautéd chopped onion, carrots, and celery.

Instructions

Wash and spin dry the leafy greens. If you're using chard, cut away the large stems and put them in a separate pile, then slice or dice them into bite-sized pieces. Chop the greens up roughly, not worrying about a fine dice since they're going to shrink to a fraction of their current size. Cut the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Heat up a Dutch oven or stock pot to medium high. Add a tablespoon or so of olive oil and let it heat up for a minute. Add the garlic, if you're using that, and stir it into the oil for 30 seconds or so. If you're using chard, add the stems first and let them cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add the greens and stir to coat with the olive oil. Saute the greens for a few minutes until they're wilted.
Add the cut-up chicken, the cooked rice, and the chicken stock. Stir and heat to boiling, then reduce the heat to low and cover, simmering for 15 to 20 minutes until the greens are tender and the flavors have mingled. Add salt and pepper to taste.
That's the fundamental recipe, but you can add whatever strikes your fancy. If you haven't figured it out already, this recipe is not set in stone--use what you have and do whatever strikes your fancy!
This is wonderful for lunch or dinner, and today I even had a little for breakfast. It's great as it is, but a little Parmesan cheese grated over the top of the bowl wouldn't hurt a thing.

Notes

This can be considered a starter recipe. It's one of those soups you can throw together quickly when you have a busy week ahead, then have it for lunch or a quick dinner instead of fast food when you don't have time to think about cooking. Feel free to add other veggies when you're braising the greens, like onions or leeks, carrots, celery, peas (English or sugar snap), etc. I keep the seasonings in this soup pretty basic, but you can experiment—throw in some basil or thyme, or whatever sounds good to you. I love Penzey's Fox Point seasoning and often add that to this soup. You can skip the rice and use some beans instead—Swiss chard is wonderful paired with white beans (navy, Great Northern, cannellini). Let the spirit move you!