One-pot chicken and rice soup

To be honest, this one-pot chicken and rice soup is one of my best soup creations thus far. I love how much flavor the chicken thighs impart in just a short amount of time, and the result is so rich without any needing any bouillon or stock. It’s reminiscent of the chicken soup congee my mom would make using homemade chicken stock, but, more approachable!

I used (~serves 2):

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs ~3/4 lb
• 1/2 cup white rice, rinsed
• 3 slices of ginger
• 1 scallion, cut into ~3-inch sections
• 1 large bok choy (or 3-4 small) chopped into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 2 large dried shiitakes, rehydrated
• 1/2-1 tbsp soy sauce 
• Salt
• Additional seasonings to taste: sesame oil + white pepper

To make:

• Soak dried shiitakes in 1 cup of hot water until full rehydrated (~1-2 hours)
• Squeeze any residual water out of the shiitakes (save the soaking water), and trim the thick stems off the shiitakes and slice 
• Add chicken, rice, ginger, scallions, and water (4 cups regular water* + 1 cup dried shiitake water) to a pot, cover and bring to a boil. *note: reduce water to 3 cups if you prefer a thicker soup
• Once it reaches a boil, give the soup stir and season with salt. reduce to medium-low and simmer covered for ~10 minutes. If there’s any scum/foam that’s risen to the top, remove this layer with a spoon
• Stir in mushrooms and bok choy and simmer covered on medium until bok choy has softened ~10 minutes
• pull out the chicken, add to a bowl and shred using two forks
• Remove ginger and scallions from the pot, and return shredded chicken to the broth
• Add in a splash of soy sauce and season with salt to taste
• Finish with sesame oil and white pepper as desired