Arroz con Pollo Soup

It was one of those days on Sunday: wet-cold and dismal. The usual early winter day that makes a hot cup of soup sound oh-so-good. So I headed out to our local produce outlet to get the makings for a soup or two, and while there saw fresh cilantro and avocados at a good price. Hrm. Better toss a jalapeño and a red bell pepper in the cart. When I got home I scrounged around and made this:

2 Tbl butter
1/2 head of garlic, crushed and chopped
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine
1 chicken breast, cubed
4 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup uncooked Trader Joe's California Wild Rice Medley (or brown rice)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tomatoes, seeded and peeled
2 avocados, pitted and peeled
Salt & pepper

Start by melting the butter in a large stock pot over medium heat and letting it brown slightly. Add the garlic and let it get a bit toasty (nutty!) on the edges before adding the onion and peppers. Cook until the onion begins to go translucent, then add the chicken and let the brown slightly.

Once the chicken is browned, add the stock and the rice and stir well. Cover and let it simmer until the rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Cut the tomatoes and avocados into strips, and add along with the cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer on low about 10 minutes to blend flavors.

This soup is an excellent "next day" soup, and early reports say it freezes well also.