Spicy Chicken and Rice Flu Chaser Soup

12 to 20 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 ribs celery, diced
8 cups chicken stock
4 skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons dried mint leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup uncooked basmati, jasmine, or white rice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Salt to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F.  Place the garlic cloves in a small, ovenproof casserole.  Pour the olive oil over the garlic to cover.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until the garlic is soft, brown, and caramelized. Strain the oil and set aside for use in other recipes, reserving 2 tablespoons for this recipe.  Mash the garlic cloves and set aside.

In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons reserved garlic oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute gently over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent and slightly golden brown. Add the chicken stock, then the chicken thighs.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Add the mashed, roasted garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, mint, cinnamon, cayenne, and bay leaves.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.  

Remove chicken carefully from the pot.  Set aside to cool.  Meanwhile, add rice to soup and continue cooking for 20 minutes.  

When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or dice it.  Return the meat to the soup and cook for 5 more minutes.  Taste the soup, adding more lemon juice or salt as needed.  Remove the bay leaves.  Add the chopped basil and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

From New England Soup Factory Cookbook by Marjorie Druker and Clara Silverstein, with a few changes