Chicken Curry Soup with Rice

I was feeling quite under the weather last week, so obviously for dinner I had to make the quintessential chicken soup.  Opting for rice instead of noodles, and a bit of a kick to really help drain those sinuses (tmi?) this chicken curry soup was born.

I found a spice bottle in our spice rack with a hand-written label on it that said "curry powder".  There are lots of types of curries, all with very distinct flavors.  I didn't really know what I was getting, but I figured I'd never met a curry I didn't like, so I would have at it.  Turns out this one resembled the Indian curries I'm accustomed to.  It worked out.

So first I sauteed the garlic and shallot in a little olive oil, then added 1/2 cup of brown basmati rice (uncooked) to coat in the oil mixture.  Then I added the curry.  Probably about 1 tbsp (it's better to under-add the spices at first, then go back for more if you need them).  I mixed and heated everything through to really let that flavor infuse as much as it could.

Then I added the chicken broth (maybe 3 cups worth? sorry, i never measure) and sliced carrots.  This would allow the rice to cook in broth instead of water, and the carrots to soften. 

The rice would normally take about 20 minutes to cook, so after about 15 minutes I added the raw chicken.  I used sliced chicken breast meat.  I added this later because I worried that if it was stewing too long it wouldn't stay as tender, so closer to the end point was when I wanted to start it poaching.

Once done, the rice was falling apart, the carrots were soft, the chicken tender, and the broth with just the right amount of kick.  You can add more broth as you find necessary, and I added a little bit of pepper and dried tarragon.  Suddenly being sick didn't feel so bad. 

Butternut Squash Soup

It should come as a surprise to no one that my garnish of choice was bacon.

We've had a giant butternut squash sitting on our kitchen table for awhile now thanks to the roommate's CSA box, so it was high time it turned into something more edible.  I love butternut squash soup, but I've never made it before, nor have I ever peeled and sliced a butternut squash.  It was a fun, albeit time consuming endeavor.  Sadly I did not capture the squash in it's pre soup glory, so you'll have to imagine a giant, fresh, organic squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, seeds removed.

Ingredients: 1 large butternut squash, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 14 oz can chicken broth, water, curry seasonings, salt/pepper, 1/4 cup milk/cream, bacon for garnish

Start by sauteing the onions and garlic in either butter, oil, or bacon grease.  Once softened, add your squash and seasonings.  I found the curry powder to be a nice compliment, but sage or thyme could be nice too.

I wanted to saute the squash just a little bit without liquids, which may or may not have added any depth of flavor, but I went with it.  I added the can of chicken broth, then a canful of water.  I wanted to barely cover the squash, and as it cooked and the liquid reduced, I'd add a little more water.  Let cook for about 30 minutes.

Once you can smash the squash with a fork or spoon, it's time to blend.  Bust out those immersion blenders, otherwise transfer to a regular blender and blend until smooth.  I then added a little milk here, because I was out of cream, and some more pepper and a little salt.  Season to your liking.  I poured the soup, garnished with bacon, and enjoyed.