Cooking with Deidre - Chicken & Vegetable Soup

CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP 

INGREDIENTS

1kg chicken drumsticks                                  250g sweet potato                                         1 clove garlic        

250g pumpkin                                                1 cob of corn                                                  1 knob ginger 

1 zucchini                                                       4 spring onions or 1 brown onion                   1 stick celery 

2 carrots                                                         1 chicken stock cube

salt/pepper/thyme 

This recipe is a basic recipe and you can change it depending on your individual taste or what you have in your cupboard. 

STOCK 

Pop the chicken into a pot with any vegetables and herbs you choose.  I used thyme today, but I have made it with just an onion to keep it simple, or you can add carrot, celery, onion, peppercorns, thyme, bayleaf and parsley

Add enough water to cover the chicken well. 

Bring the stock to the boil and simmer until the chicken is coming away from the bone. 

Remove any scum from the top of the chicken stock as it comes to the surface.  This will help the soup stay clean and improve the flavour. 

SOUP 

While you are waiting for the chicken to cook you can dice the vegetables and remove the kernels from the cob of corn.  Remember that they will need to be small bite size pieces that are easy to eat. 

Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the pot and place it on a plate until it is cool enough to handle.  Remove meat from the bone and break up or cut into bite size pieces. 

Strain the stock and set to the side. 

In a large pot lightly fry the firm vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, corn, pumpkin, celery and onion.  Add garlic and ginger to the vegetables to release the flavours.  Add the chicken pieces and stock and bring to the boil.  Pop in the zucchini, stock powder and season to your taste.  Bring back to the boil and let simmer until all vegetables are cooked through. Serve with crusty bread and heaps of butter.

TIPS

Make sure you keep the chicken bones.  Pop them in the freezer until you get a heap and make a large pot of chicken stock to use in pumpkin soup or chicken casserole.   

In addition to this you can make up some dumplings (a scone recipe will do the trick) and place blobs (a large tablespoon full) of mixture in the top of the simmering soup.  Cook for 8-10 min with the lid on and remove the dumplings when cooked.  Thicken the soup……..Ta Da!  Dinner done.  You now have a tasty casserole😊 

Other flavours that you could use are coconut milk and coriander, sweet curry with apple or pineapple, lightly beat an egg and stir it through the simmering soup to make an egg noodle soup.

If you have any ideas - we'd love to hear. Send us through your suggestions at info@knoxleisureworks.com.au 
 

This soup can be frozen in individual or family sized serves or kept in the fridge for 3 days. 

Enjoy!

- Deidre