Now that the clocks have went back and the weather is getting worse, it’s the perfect time to go all in on comfort food season. You don’t get much more comforting than a thick, chunky soup, especially when it’s paired with masses of buttered bread.
A decent chicken soup recipe is always handy to have in your back pocket for when those cravings hit. And one “life-changing” recipe from the experts at Good Housekeeping promises to keep your family happy and fed all winter long. There is very little hands-on prep time involved, as most of the cooking time involves the pot simply bubbling away on the hob.
Rather than your traditional cream of chicken soup, this recipe has elements of a hearty Scotch broth in it too, such as pearl barley and chunky carrots.
This makes it so much more filling and comforting, and something you’ll genuinely want to eat on a chilly winter evening.
The recipe notes state: “It takes a little bit of time to make (this isn’t a heat in the microwave kind of situation), but there’s very little hands on time as it’s blipping away on the hob and the investment pays real dividends in the eating.
“What’s more, as it uses the whole bird, there’s zero waste. Win, win.”
Chicken soup recipe (serves six)
Ingredients – for the chicken stock
For the chicken stock, put the chicken in a large saucepan with the peppercorns, carrot, onion and rosemary. Cover with cold water until the chicken is just covered, then bring to a simmer. Simmer for around an hour until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the pot and discard the skin, then remove the meat from the bones and set aside. Return the bones to the stock pot and continue to simmer gently for an hour. Strain the stock through a sieve to remove the bones and veg and set aside.
For the soup, melt the butter in a large saucepan until foaming, then add the bacon. Fry for five minutes until golden, then add the leeks, carrot and swede. Cook for 6-8min, until starting to soften. Stir in the rosemary sprigs and pearl barley. Shred the reserved chicken and add this to the pan, then top up with enough chicken stock to cover the ingredients. Simmer for around 40 minutes, or until the pearl barley is tender, adding more stock if needed. Season well to taste and serve with crusty bread on the side.
