Chicken and Rice Soup with Snap Peas and Lots of Ginger

It's Always Soup Season

On Wednesday, I wrote about wanting to make something nourishing to eat in bowls, so I did, and who better to share it with than you all?

Snap peas (and strawberries!) finally arrived at the farm store this week and after a few very hot days in the valley, as of yesterday, the temperature has thankfully dipped back to cooler and more appropriate early June weather.

I developed this recipe in Nova Scotia a few weeks ago where the weather was cool and damp. After long days working on the house, this soup hit the spot and because there were only two of us, I had leftovers for lunch for a good couple of days.

This recipe gives instructions to poach the chicken directly in the broth for ease. You could also use leftover roast chicken, which would be even easier. In full transparency, I made this with roasted turkey thighs (two), because I saw them at the grocery store and got excited because I really love turkey thighs. But, I realize they are not readily available. Should you happen to see them and want to go that route, I seasoned them simply with salt and pepper and roasted them at 425°F until cooked through (about 50 minutes) and shredded the meat into the soup when the rice was finished cooking. Using chicken thighs will be just as grand, I’m simply here to provide you with options…

But, let’s talk about the snap peas, this week’s star of the show! I’m very happy these sweet pods are now in season. Not only do I enjoy incorporating them into soups, sides, salads and stir fries, they also make a great snack. I ate half of them straight out of the bag on the way home from the store with my foot propped up on the dashboard, window down and the breeze blowing through my hair. Hello, summer in the country!