Chicken soup for the soul
Discover some brilliant soup recipes from around the globe that go beyond the simple chicken and broth to deliver cuddles of comfort both delicious and nutritious.
serves / 8
ingredients
1 No.16 size chicken 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped into 2cm cubes 3 celery stalks, chopped into 2cm cubes 2 litre chicken stock (reserved from poaching the chicken) 75g plain flour 75g butter 2 leeks, sliced, washed and cooked in an extra 75g butter Salt and pepper to taste
Method
1_I like to poach a whole chicken first, and then thicken the poaching stock to make the soup.
2_Rinse chicken under cold running water, and let it drain for about five minutes.
3_In a large pot cover chicken with cold water and bring to the boil. Skim. Add chopped veg, along with a tablespoon of whole peppercorns; a clove of garlic (peeled and crushed) or two; a bay leaf and some fresh herbs. Add 1 tbsp salt, bring it to the boil then lower to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about an hour. Once chicken is cooked through, turn off heat, remove the chicken and transfer to a large bowl to cool for about 20 minutes. Save the broth.
4_When the chicken is cool enough to handle, you can pull off all the meat, using a fork to remove the trickier bits. Refrigerate.
5_For the soup, place a heavybased pot over a medium heat and bring the temperature of the pot up a little. Melt the butter, then add the flour. Stir constantly and cook it under medium-low heat until flour starts to turn brown and smell nutty.
6_Add broth a little at a time, similar to making a roux, while stirring constantly. Keep adding the broth and stirring to prevent any lumps.
7_Once all the broth has been added, turn up the heat, still stirring to prevent burning, and bring it to a boil. If it is too thick add a little more water or broth to thin it.
8_Turn off heat and remove from stove. Season with salt to taste.
9_To serve, warm the shredded chicken with the cooked leek, pile in the middle of a soup bowl and pour the soup around. Garnish with croutons.