Hearty Chicken(ish) Soup

11 Feb 2012

Category: recipes

This warming and hearty chicken soup can be made with almost any vegetables you have in the cupboard, and with no chicken if you don't have it!  As long as you have a good chicken stock and preferably a pressure cooker, you're set!

Hearty Chicken(ish) Soup

Serves 4  10 minutes preparation, 20 minutes cooking

Ingredients

1 litre of good quality chicken stock (make your own from chicken bones)

1 leek, cleaned and cut into fine rings

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small dice

handful of pearl barley, well washed

other vegetables, such as potato, celeriac, turnip, swede, celery - about a handful, finely chopped.

splash of white wine (optional)

tablespoon of creme fraiche (optional)

salt, pepper, thyme

a little butter

handful of cooked chicken (optional)

soft vegetables like cos/little gem lettue, frozen peas

 

Method

1. In a pressure cooker or large saucepan, melt the butter
2. Gently saute the leeks in the butter - softening them without letting them colour.  
3. Add the garlic and the other vegetables and stir around
4. Stir in the wine (if you have any) and allow it to bubble through
5. Add the chicken stock, washed pearl barley and any chicken bits, stir well and broing the pressure cooker up to pressure.
6. Reduce the heat while keeping pressure for about 15 minutes
7. After 15 minutes, pressure-down and inspect the soup - the vegetables should be soft without being mushy and the pearl barley should have a little bite
8. Add more stock (or water) if needed, and stir in any soft vegetables like peas or lettuce
9. Stir until the new ingredients are heated through and cooked.  
10. Season with fresh thyme, salt and pepper, and add a dollop of creme fraiche
11. Enjoy with a slice of crusty bread