Good-For-What-Ails-You Chicken Soup

I put this together this weekend with the leftovers from a roast chicken. I had a vague vision in mind, but this was one of those very happy occasions where the end product was even better than what I had envisioned. Familiar enough to be comforting but different enough to be interesting, this also involves enough ginger and garlic that it might just actually help chase those sniffles away (no promises!). You can get local chicken from Diemand Farm in Wendell, though you have to go out to the farm for it, unlike their eggs. I had some good carrots and onions left from my Winter Fare purchases, and red pepper in the freezer to round it out. Feel free to substitute noodles for the rice if you like.

Good-for-what-ails-you chicken soup with noodles substituted for the rice

6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp curry powder
3/4 cup long grain white rice (jasmine is good here)
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups diced red pepper
1 1/2 cups diced carrot
Stock and/or water (add bouillon cubes if you like)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, saute the garlic, ginger, and onion in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Add the curry powder and saute for a moment more. Add the remaining ingredients, including enough stock and/or water to generously cover the solids. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the rice is cooked. Check on it periodically to see if additional water is needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.