Chicken and rice soup

Ingredients

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, diced
• 3carrots, sliced into coins
• 3 stickcelery, sliced
• 3 clovegarlic, crushed
• 1 1/3 lbchicken thighs, boneless and skinless
• 2 quartschicken stock
• 2bay leaves
• 4 sprigfresh thyme
• 6 1/4 ozlong grain rice, cooked separately
• 1lemon, juiced
• 1/2 ozfresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tspsea salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tspblack pepper

Method

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large pot over a medium heat and cook the onion, carrot and celery with half a teaspoon of the salt for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic for the last minute.

2. 2

   Add the stock, bay leaves and thyme, bring to a bare simmer and lower in the chicken thighs whole. Cook for 20 minutes, then lift them out, shred with two forks and return the meat to the pot.

3. 3

   While the chicken poaches, cook the rice in salted water according to its packet, drain it and keep it aside.

4. 4

   Fish out the bay and thyme stalks. Stir the lemon juice, parsley, pepper and the rest of the salt into the pot. Put a spoonful of rice in each bowl and ladle the soup over the top.