Chicken and Rice Soup to Stop Coughs and Soothe the Throat

CHICKEN SOUP (good for you when you're sick) Ingredients: 2-3 pieces of chicken (breast is best, with some thighs, but other pieces will do if there is some bone and skin) 2 medium onions chopped up (or 1 tablespoon dried diced onion or 1 tablespoon onion powder or more to taste) 2 teaspoon garlic powder (or one clove raw garlic) 1-2 bay leaves ½ teaspoon dill ½ teaspoon coriander 2 teaspoon salt (taste the soup before adding any more salt!) dash of pepper (optional) gluten free noodles or rice (optional: diced potatoes or vegetables) Water—enough to fill the pot 2/3 full Instructions: 1. Remove the skin from the chicken (takes off most fat). If you are making soup for someone with a cold, leave the skin on. The fat is soothing to the throat. Put into a pot with a lid with enough water to fill the pot 2/3 full. Using a pressure cooker makes the soup easier to make. You can use a crock pot and cook for 8 hours on low. Make sure the water covers the chicken. Use a pot that has at least 4 quart capacity. If you want more soup, add a couple of more pieces of chicken and use a larger pot. 2. Add chopped onion, garlic powder, bay leaves, coriander, dill, salt, and pepper to the water. Play with the amounts until it tastes good to you. 3. With the lid on, simmer the soup on medium low heat until the chicken is tender enough to come off the bones. Usually takes about an hour in a regular pot and 15-20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Check soup frequently! If the water boils away, add more. If scum forms on the top, remove it with a spoon every ten minutes or so. 4. When chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the bones and put the meat back into the soup. 5. Add a few noodles or 2 cups raw rice or vegetables and cook with lid on until done. Beware! Rice will absorb lots of liquid and leave no soup, so make sure there is about 4 times as much liquid as rice. 6. While rise or pasta is cooking, add a dash or more of all the spices to make the flavor pop. NOTE: This soup is good to put in freezer bags in individual portions and freeze for up to a month.