By Kathryn Reed

So many recipes are seasonal either because of the ingredients or the weather outside. With winter being at least a six-month long season in Lake Tahoe, soup is always a good choice.

Many soups are relatively easy to make and don’t involve going up and down every aisle of the grocery store. One I like in particular is from my mom.

On the recipe she hand wrote for me years ago it says, “Mom’s Rice Soup, since 1955”.

That was the year she and dad got married so I thought there might be a fun story behind the recipe. Mom doesn’t recall where the recipe came from — so no fun story for now. With it being “Mom’s” recipe, she certainly has taken ownership of it. And I’m OK with that.

Neither mom nor dad had the soup as children, so it hasn’t been in the family many generations.

“It’s perfect for when you don’t feel good,” mom said. I remember her fixing it for me as a kid when I was sick. That’s probably why I consider it one of my comfort foods.

We both like that we usually have all the ingredients in the house – no matter the season. It’s fast and easy to make, too.

Mom’s Rice Soup — serves 3-4

4 C water

2-4 tsp or cubes bouillon

1 medium to large carrot, grated

1 small to medium onion, chopped fine

1 stalk celery, chopped fine

1/3 to 1/2 C uncooked rice

Bring all ingredients to a boil and continue boiling very gently for 30 minutes.