Emeril's Chicken & Rice Soup

From my friend Cheri, who hasn't gotten up the nerve to post here yet... so I'll just post it for her:

I just took the rest of this soup out of the freezer and I'm sending the recipe to you both because we have spoken about chicken soup sometime recently....

As I recall, I did not follow the first step of sautéing the carcass, but it was the spices and especially adding shredded cabbage that "wowed" me. I don't think I added any of the other assorted veggies that time, just the onion, carrot, and celery. I can't wait to try it again though with spinach and zucchini. I'm sure I used brown rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 chicken (3 pounds) boned, skinned, and visible fat removed, diced, (save the bones and carcass)
• Essence, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 cups assorted chopped fresh vegetables, such has beans, zucchini, yellow squash, or cabbage, small dice
• 1 1/2 cups torn spinach leaves, cleaned and stemmed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1/4 pound long grain white rice, uncooked

Directions

In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil. Season the chicken with Essence. When the oil is hot, add the chicken, bones and carcass and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the meat and bones are brown. Remove the bones and carcass. Add the onions, celery, carrots, green onions, garlic, parsley, basil, and bay leaves. Season with Essence. Sauté the vegetables for 4 minutes. Add the chopped vegetables, spinach, and crushed red pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock and rice, bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Reseason if necessary. Serve hot.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.