Ingredients
1 large chicken breast
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
4-5 medium sized carrots
2-3 stalks celery
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
2 teaspoons chicken stock powder
2 bay leaves (optional)
2 cups white rice
Method
1. Add olive oil to a large pot.
2. Cut up onion, garlic, carrot and celery and add pot.
3. Heat the pot on medium high heat and add salt, pepper and oregano.
4. Allow the vegetables to cook for a few minutes, stirring to avoid any sticking.
5. Once the vegetables have softened, add boiling water approximately halfway up the pot. Add in the chicken stock and the bay leaves. Stir.
6. Place in the chicken breast.
7. Allow the soup to come to a boil before turning the heat to low to allow it to simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are tender.
8. While the soup is simmering, cook the rice in a rice cooker.
9. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and place in a separate dish. Allow to cool slightly before using either two forks or your fingers to shred it into strips.
10. Remove the soup from the heat and strain it using a sieve into a large bowl. Pour the liquid back into the pot.
11. Put the cooked vegetables into a food processor and process until smooth before adding back to the pot with the liquid. Add the shredded chicken into the pot as well.
12. Once the rice is cooked, add as much as is necessary to the soup to reach a desired thickness. Stir the rice through the soup.
Serve with crusty bread rolls and enjoy!
For a vegetarian meal omit the chicken and use vegetable stock.