Lemon Chicken, Spinach and Rice Soup

Wash your hands and clean the preparation surface. Rinse the zucchini and lemon under running water, then dry them. Rinse the spinach unless labeled prewashed, removing any damaged leaves. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise and slice into 1/2-inch pieces; measure 2 cups. Roughly chop the spinach and squeeze 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and drain.

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces without rinsing it. Wash your hands, knife, cutting board and any surfaces that touched the raw chicken before continuing.

Pour the chicken broth into the soup pot. Add the thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Stir in the chicken and drained rice. Return to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot. Simmer gently for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the rice from sticking. Avoid a vigorous boil, which can toughen the chicken and evaporate too much broth.

Stir in the zucchini. Continue simmering, partially covered, for 5–8 minutes, until the rice is tender and the zucchini is just tender but still holds its shape. Check several of the largest chicken pieces with a clean instant-read thermometer; they must reach 165°F. If necessary, continue simmering until they do.

Stir in the spinach and simmer for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in all 3 tablespoons of lemon juice.