This chicken soup or canja, as it is called in portuguese, is the brazilian grandmother's cure-all. This recipe, by cookbook author and historian Jessica Harris, is adapted from her book Tasting Brazil.

Place the chicken, tomatoes, onion, celery, and parsley into a large stockpot. Add 2 quarts water, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 1 hour. Remove the soup from the heat.

Remove the chicken from the stock and let it cool. When it is cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones. Set the meat aside and discard the bones and skin.

Put the cooking liquid and vegetables through a food mill (or you can use an immersion blender) to obtain a thick, rich chicken stock. Return the stock to the pot, add the reserved chicken meat, carrots, rice, and 2 cups water to the pot. Place it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for an additional 30 minutes, or a bit longer if you like mushy rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.