Chicken and Leek Soup -- Just like grandma's

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newbie12
newbie12 Member Posts: 47
edited June 2014 in Health and wellbeing

The beauty of this recipe is that you have the soup base and add to it depending on whether you can simply tolerate a nutrient dense broth or a hearter soup.

The soup base freezes really well, so you can always have some on hand. In my good week during chemo I would make a big batch for times when I didn't have the energy or needed something light.

The cheese gives it greater depth of flavour.

Hope you enjoy.

 

INGREDIENTS

For Base Soup

  • 8 chicken drumsticks (freerange/organic gives a deeper flavour)
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery sticks, diced
  • a bunch of flat (italian parsley)
  • 1-2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 leeks, white part only, finely sliced

Extras

  • 2 large red potatoes or other waxy potato, diced and steamed in a microwave until tender)
  • 1 cup small pasta like digitelli, risoni, shells...(cooked)
  • grated/shaved pecorino or parmesan cheese, to serve
  1. place chicken, 1 carrot, 1 celery stick and parsley stalks in a big pot with 3 litres of water. bring to boil and simmer over medium for 1 hour. The chicken will fall off the bone when ready.
  2. strain and keep the stock and put aside. Discard vegetables. When chicken is cool, pull off the bone and tear into smaller pieces.
  3. Melt butter in a clean saucepan and saute leek until soft, but not brown. Add remaining carrot and celery to pot and cook until tender. Add chicken stock and bring back to the boil. Season to taste. Chop left over parsley leaves and add to stock with chopped chicken.  This is the base.

To make this soup more hearty add the steamed potato and pasta to your bowl and ladle soup into the bowl. Sprinkle with grated or shaved pecorino or parmesan. Great with crusty bread or by itself.

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