A couple of weeks ago, like almost everyday else I would think, I was suffering from the dreaded winter virus.
It put me off my food (hard to believe, I know), and I certainly didn’t feel like making anything.
So I resorted to buying myself a carton of chicken and vegetable soup which I consumed purely to keep my strength up.
It was quite nice if somewhat expensive, and it got me thinking that I could make a version of this that would taste much better and be a lot cheaper as well.
I wanted to get more flavour in the soup, so instead of using chicken breasts which are pretty bland at the best of times, I roasted a medium/large chicken and used the meat from the legs and thighs that have much more flavour, especially when roasted.
The breasts I kept until the next day for some chicken risotto.
A couple of carrots, a good handful of peas, half a dozen new potatoes and some celery and onion, and you have the basic, and cheap ingredients for a healthy and wholesome pan of soup that’s perfect winter fayre.
The only thing I wouldn’t skimp on is the stock.
A soup stands or falls on the qualilty of its stock and this one is no exception.
I used to make stock from scratch with a carcass and bones left from a Sunday roast chicken lunch. And although good, it was a labour of love, with varying degrees of success.
Quite often I would find myself after 2-3 hours of simmering and skimming, having to add a stock cube to enhance the chicken flavour I was after.
Then I discovered a stock powder that consigned my endless hours of stock making to the culinary dustbin. Essential Cuisine (they don’t pay me or even know I exist!) are now my default stocks for all my cooking. Visit my Foodie Chat page for more details.
Using this flexible stock powder gives me all the flavour I need for this soups base, in addition to the roast chicken and vegetables.
A bowl of this inside you and any virus will run a mile.
It put me off my food (hard to believe, I know), and I certainly didn’t feel like making anything.
So I resorted to buying myself a carton of chicken and vegetable soup which I consumed purely to keep my strength up.
It was quite nice if somewhat expensive, and it got me thinking that I could make a version of this that would taste much better and be a lot cheaper as well.
I wanted to get more flavour in the soup, so instead of using chicken breasts which are pretty bland at the best of times, I roasted a medium/large chicken and used the meat from the legs and thighs that have much more flavour, especially when roasted.
The breasts I kept until the next day for some chicken risotto.
A couple of carrots, a good handful of peas, half a dozen new potatoes and some celery and onion, and you have the basic, and cheap ingredients for a healthy and wholesome pan of soup that’s perfect winter fayre.
The only thing I wouldn’t skimp on is the stock.
A soup stands or falls on the qualilty of its stock and this one is no exception.
I used to make stock from scratch with a carcass and bones left from a Sunday roast chicken lunch. And although good, it was a labour of love, with varying degrees of success.
Quite often I would find myself after 2-3 hours of simmering and skimming, having to add a stock cube to enhance the chicken flavour I was after.
Then I discovered a stock powder that consigned my endless hours of stock making to the culinary dustbin. Essential Cuisine (they don’t pay me or even know I exist!) are now my default stocks for all my cooking. Visit my Foodie Chat page for more details.
Using this flexible stock powder gives me all the flavour I need for this soups base, in addition to the roast chicken and vegetables.
A bowl of this inside you and any virus will run a mile.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium/large whole chicken
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 sticks celery, chopped
- 2-3 carrots, diced
- 1 leek, chopped (optional)
- 6-8 baby potatoes, diced
- 1 bouquet garni, fresh or dried (bay leaves, thyme and parsley tied together with a piece of string)
- A good handful of frozen peas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 litre chicken stock
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METHOD Roast the chicken in your normal way. For this recipe I just rub with a little olive oil, season and bung it in a 220℃/200℃ fan oven for 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 180℃/160℃ fan, pop in half a glass of white wine, and roast for about another hour or until the juices in the thigh run clear or it registers 75℃ on the meat thermometer. While the chicken is roasting, prepare your veg by chopping the onion and celery, and dice the carrots and potatoes to a similar size. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the vegetables for 5-10 minutes with colouring too much. Add the stock and the bouquet garni and simmer on a medium heat for about 30 - 35 minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. (if you have a pressure cooker, this can be done in 5 minutes). Taste for seasoning and only add if you think you need to. Decide how you like your soup, and to thicken whizz half of it with a stick blender, and if it is now too thick, just loosen with a little stock. If you prefer a smooth soup, just blend all of it before adding the roast chicken and peas. Shred or chop meat from the chicken (as much or little as you fancy) from the thighs and legs, not forgetting the ‘oysters’, the two bits of dark meat shaped like little oysters, near the backbone/thighs of the bird. They aren’t very big, but are the tastiest morsels you can imagine. In fact if you remember about them, they might not even reach the soup! You can also scrape off any bits of caramelised chicken that have stuck to the bottom of the roasting tin, and add that to the soup. These have fantastic intense chicken flavour and will only enhance the soup. Throw in a good handful of peas and heat through until the peas are done and all the chicken and its chickeny-ness are well stirred in. Great with some crusty bread for a hearty lunch, or in a flask on the side of a windswept hill. |