Lemon Chicken Soup

Adapted from a recipe from Epicurious.com (Gourmet magazine – December 1997)

• Makes about 4 1/2 cups, serves 2
• Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Ingredients

• 3 lemons
• 1 chicken breast half with skin and bones
• 2 ¾ cups chicken stock (Kitchen Basics brand)
• 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leafed parsley leaves

Preparation

• With a vegetable peeler remove two 2-inch-long strips zest from lemons and squeeze juice into a bowl.
• In a small saucepan simmer chicken and zest in broth, covered, 20 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.
• Cook brown rice according to package directions, adjust amounts to yield 1 ½ cups after cooking.
• Transfer chicken to a bowl and pour broth through a sieve into a 4-cup measuring cup.
• Chill chicken until it is cool.
• In a 2-quart saucepan heat butter over moderately low heat until foam subsides and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add broth and cream in a stream, whisking, and simmer, whisking, 2 minutes, or until soup thickens slightly. Remove pan from heat.
• When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and using two forks shred the chicken.
• Add chicken and brown rice to soup and simmer, stirring occasionally for a minute or two.
• Stir in lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.