Making a pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon is incredibly satisfying. I'm not one to rigidly follow recipes - once you have a base of onion or leek, and have added your stock, you can mix it up with vegetable combinations. Seasoning is important, and you can have a lot of fun with garnishes - fresh herbs, a dollop of yoghurt or something creamy, lemon zest, a drizzle of good-quality oil: it's up to you. As the cold weather continues, try a new recipe and put your own stamp on it. I love a bit of chilli to add heat to my soup, and I can't go past a good-quality sourdough for my accompanying toast.
For the stock
2 | Organic chicken frame, approx. 800g, we used Bostock's organic chicken frames (Main) |
2 | Carrots |
2 | Celery stalks, chopped |
2 Tbsp | Peppercorns |
1 head | Garlic, cut in half lengthways |
1 small bunch | Fresh thyme |
1 small bunch | Fresh parsley |
3 Ltr | Water |
Soup
1 pot | Chicken stock, use the quantity made here (Main) |
400 g | Chicken breasts, alternatively use thighs (Main) |
1 | Carrot, sliced |
2 cups | Silverbeet, chopped, or use spinach, baby silverbeet or baby spinach leaves (Main) |
1 can | Cannellini beans, approx. 330g (Main) |
1 Tbsp | Worcestershire sauce |
1 Tbsp | Hot sauce, eg. sriracha |
1 small bunch | Flat leaf (Italian) parsley |
1 small | Lemon, zested |
Directions
- For the stock, place all ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring gently to the boil and simmer for 2-3 hours. Strain the stock through a sieve and use for the soup.
- To make the soup, place the stock, chicken and carrot slices in a medium saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and carefully shred using two forks, then return to the pot.
- Add the silverbeet (or spinach), beans, Worcester sauce and hot sauce.
- Continue to heat through, and taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
- Serve in small bowls with the parsley and a little lemon zest.
Another warming soup from Delaney