Winter Chicken Soup

Getting over the flu is never nice… one thing that does make me feel a whole lot better though is my mum’s comforting chicken soup.

The best part is that it is so simple and quick to make that you can be sick and still manage to cook some up in no time!

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 onion diced
• 3 x carrots diced
• 3 or more celery sticks diced
• 1 whole free range or organic chicken
• 1 x bay leaf
• 200g barley
• ½ bunch of parsley chopped
• 2 litres of good quality chicken stock
• salt & pepper to season
• squeeze of lemon to serve

Steps

1. In a large saucepan on medium heat, brown the onions, garlic, carrots and celery in the butter and olive oil
2. Add the whole uncooked chicken, bay leaf, barley and chicken stock and bring to the boil
3. Skim off any fat from the top of the saucepan
4. Allow to boil for 30- 45mins
5. Take the whole chicken out of the soup and once cool, shred the meat away from the carcass and put this back into the soup
6. Add the chopped parsley, salt & pepper to taste
7. Serve with a squeeze of lemon

Freeze in portions, enjoy with some crusty garlic bread for dinner or take it for lunch each day… and enjoy!