New England Soup Factory Flu Chaser Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

20 garlic cloves, roasted
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 whole chicken, about 4-5 lbs
3 celery ribs, diced
1 large Spanish onion, peeled & diced
6 carrots, peeled & thickly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried mint
2 -3 slices fresh ginger (optional)
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
kosher salt
12 cups chicken stock (plus additional, if needed)
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
3 cups rice, cooked (white or jasmine)

Preparation

Roast Garlic.
Preheat the oven to 375\u00b0 - 400\u00b0.
Place garlic cloves in a small, oven-proof casserole dish. Pour the olive oil over the garlic to submerge the cloves.
Roast garlic for 35 minutes, until the garlic is soft, brown and caramelized. Strain the oil to use in other recipes. Mash the cloves and set aside.
Assemble Soup.
Place the chicken, onion, carrots, and celery in a large stockpot.
Add roasted garlic cloves, ginger (if using), lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, mint, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and bay leaves.
Pour in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 hours, or until the chicken is very tender.
Remove the soup from the heat. If it looks too thick, add 1-2 cups of stock or water. Remove chicken to a plate to cool slightly. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones, and add the meat back to the soup.
Add basil, rice, and salt. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove bay leaves and serve.