A delicious chicken & rice soup

I've learned my lesson before: always write down a recently developed recipe, even if I think I'm going to remember it.  With that in mind, I made the most amazing chicken & rice soup today.  I wrote it down for my recipe box, but it was so wonderfully delicious I wanted to share it with all of you.

Chicken & Rice Soup

• 1-2 onions
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 4-6 mushrooms
• 12 cups chicken stock
• Mixed dried vegetables (zucchini, green beans, corn, celery, etc.)
• 4-5 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cabbage OR frozen chopped greens
• 1-2 potatoes, chopped
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• Thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-ish cups cooked rice
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 3 cubes frozen chopped parsley
• 3 tsp salt
• pepper to taste

:: Begin to fry the onions and mushrooms in lard (or butter) until melty and sweet, adding in the garlic.  Add the chicken stock, thyme, bay leaves, chickpeas, and all the vegetables except the frozen greens.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until cooked through.

:: At the end of cooking, add the frozen greens, parsley, chicken, rice, salt and pepper.

It was out of this world.  Amazingly satisfying with buttered toast on the side.