Chicken and Mushroom Rice Soup

Place the chicken, carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaf in a large stockpot. Fill it with 4 quarts of cold water, ensuring the chicken is fully submerged. Place the stockpot over high heat and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Gradually decrease the heat to low; continue to cook slowly until the meat can be easily torn from its bones and is no longer pink in the center, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

Transfer the meat and bones to a bowl and allow it to cool enough to handle, around 10 minutes. Leave the stockpot over low heat and continue to simmer gently.

Separate the meat from its bones, skin, and any remaining debris. Break it up into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Return the bones and skin to the stockpot and continue to cook on low until needed.

Melt butter in a separate soup pot over medium-high heat, allowing it to start browning. Add sliced mushrooms and salt; sauté until the mushrooms are well browned. Introduce garlic and diced onion into the pan, sautéing for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain in 4 cups of the chicken broth from the stockpot and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne, and thyme; reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Add cooked rice to the pan, stirring occasionally as it cooks. Allow it to cook for 20 minutes.

Taste the seasoning and adjust with more salt if necessary; remove thyme stems. Introduce the chicken meat into the pan, along with a few more cups of the chicken broth to achieve your desired texture. The soup will thicken as the rice expands, so additional broth may be required if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Continue to simmer until the chicken is heated through and has absorbed the flavors, and the rice is fully cooked, approximately 15 minutes. Taste one final time for seasoning, adjusting with more broth as needed. Serve immediately.