Chicken and vegetable soup

Babiche Martens

This chicken and vegetable soup is a hearty mix and the perfect way to use leftover bits and pieces from the vegetable drawer. Leave it chunky, puree it briefly or simply mash with a fork to break up the bigger bits. At our house, there is often a pot of this soup on the go at home for hungry mouths to enjoy when arriving home from work and in need of a quick fix on a cold evening. All that’s needed to go with it is some warm crusty bread with loads of butter.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp	Butter
1 Tbsp	Oil
1	Onion, chopped
2	Garlic cloves, crushed
1	Parsnip, peeled and chopped
1	Carrot, peeled and chopped (Main)
300 g	Pumpkin, peeled and chopped (Main)
4	Organic chicken thighs, skinless, bone in (Main)
1 Ltr	Chicken stock
1 tin	Chopped tomatoes, 420g
1 tsp	Brown sugar
1 tsp	Dry mixed herbs
½ cup	Chopped parsley
1 loaf	Crusty bread, and butter to serve

Directions

1. In a large pot heat and butter and oil. Add the onion, garlic, parsnip and carrot. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the pumpkin, chicken, stock, tomatoes, sugar, herbs and parsley. Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken thighs and shred the meat from the bone, returning meat to the soup. Discard the bones.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with warm crusty plain or garlic bread.

More of Angela's winter soups

• Persian spinach and kofta soup
• Mussel and cauliflower chowder