ITALIAN CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

Fall is here! My favorite time of year! Time for some yummy soup recipes. Soup just warms you up on a crisp Fall day. This recipe is ridiculously simple. But oh so tasty. If you are having a busy day and your schedule seems rushed, you should add this one to your menu. It goes together in a snap. Especially if you already have leftover, cooked chicken. I cooked my chicken on my Foreman grill, while I threw the rest of the ingredients together, and it all came together right on time. Don't be afraid of the 'spaghetti sauce' in the recipe. I was a bit nervous to add it too, but then I reminded myself that it's only tomato sauce with the seasonings "already in there!" (Little plug for Ragu there! haha)

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND RICE SOUP

1 (49 oz) can chicken broth (I have had trouble finding these big cans of chicken broth lately. Now they are selling it in the 32 oz size box. (This is why it's good to have homemade broth on hand). Anyway, I just mixed up 2 cups of hot water w/ 2 tsp of chicken soup base, and added it to the broth, and it was fine.
1 (26 oz) Spaghetti sauce (meatless)
1 1/2 cups cubed, cooked chicken
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 small summer squash, cubed
2 Tblsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3 cups cooked rice
1 tsp. sugar

In a soup kettle or dutch oven, combine the broth, spaghetti sauce, chicken, parsley, thyme, zucchini and squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until zucchini and squash ore tender. Stir in cooked rice and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes or until rice is heated through.

Yield: 10 servings