Name: Garlic-Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil; ½ cup minced garlic (about 25 cloves); 2 carrots , peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 celery rib , minced; Salt and pepper; 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon tomato paste; 6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth; 2 bay leaves; ⅔ cup wild rice , rinsed; 8 ounces organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of all visible fat and cut into ¾-inch pieces; 3 ounces (3 cups) baby spinach; ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Why This Recipe Works

Both chicken soup and garlic soup have been lauded as powerful home remedies for cold and flu infections and restorative tonics. Our goal was to combine these powerhouse soups by supercharging our hearty Chicken Broth with a megadose of garlic, before adding tender morsels of chicken. We tested our way through increasing amounts of garlic, starting with what we thought was a hefty amount—2 tablespoons. Much to our surprise and satisfaction, tasters rallied behind a whopping ½ cup of minced garlic, praising its bright yet balanced presence in our full-flavored soup. Mincing and blooming the garlic before adding liquid gave it a toasty sweetness without the trouble of roasting. To build flavor, we added aromatic vegetables, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste along with our chicken broth. In place of noodles or white rice we opted for toothsome wild rice, one of the most nutrient-dense whole grains (technically it is not a rice but a marsh grass), cooking it directly in the soup to infuse it with garlicky flavor. To keep our chicken tender and juicy, we simmered it during the last few minutes of cooking. Finally we added several handfuls of baby spinach and a generous amount of chopped parsley to give our soup a vegetal boost that complemented the deep garlic notes.

Instructions

Heat oil and garlic in Dutch oven over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add carrots, onion, celery, and ¼ teaspoon salt, increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.

Stir in thyme and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer. Stir in rice, return to simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until rice is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in chicken and spinach and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and spinach is wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.