Tomatillo Soup with Chicken and Rice

Since January is Soup Month, I thought I'd post a few soup recipes.   This is now Sarah's favorite meal. 

1 cup rice (I prefer basamati but use what you have)
1/2 the meat off of a whole fryer (or 2-3 chicken breasts) shredded
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos cubed
4-6 cups chicken broth
1 onion (about the size of a baseball)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 chilies or jalepenos diced (I like the chilies in adobo with the seeds removed)  You can use both depending on how hot you like it.  I've made it both ways and like the chilies the best.
salt and pepper to taste

Dice onion and garlic.  Cook onion 2-3 minutes and add garlic.  Cook until translucent.  Add tomatillos, cayenne, chilies or jalapenos, and some salt and pepper.  Cook for 2-3 minutes longer.  Add enough chicken broth to cover the tomatillos.  Bring to a boil then lower heat to medium.  Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  While this is going on, cook rice based on package instructions.  Once the tomatillos are cooked, puree the soup in a blender.  Put it back in the pot.  Add in shredded chicken and cooked rice. Add in more broth if the soup is too thick. Add salt and pepper to taste.

At the table, have sour cream and Mexican cheese to add in if desired.  

We had it last night.  I make my own chicken stock by boiling the whole chicken with onions, celery, carrots, oregano, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. It's cheaper and I get the meat from the chicken and a whole pot of stock to use during the week. 

You can use either jalapenos or chilies.  I like the chilies best, but the hubby likes the jalapenos.  Both are good.  The chillies give the soup a deep flavor while the jalapenos keep it lighter.