Chicken & Rice Soup

2-3 chicken breasts

1/2 yellow onion, diced small

2-3 sticks of celery, diced

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into disks

6-8 cups chicken broth

3 Tb butter

2 Tb flour

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

a few sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

salt

Simmer the chicken breasts in 6 cups of broth for 20 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the broth, set broth aside for later. Shred the chicken. (You can also skip this step by using about 2 cups of any cooked shredded chicken you already have)

Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add veggies and saute till softened. Add flour, and stir till it starts to darken and smells toasty. Whisk in the reserved broth and bring to a boil. Add the rice, let it come back to a boil, then lower to a vigorous simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.

Add chicken, thyme leaves from those sprigs, and pepper. Season with salt to taste, continuing to cook for just a few more minutes while the chicken is warmed through, then serve!