Unless you’re veggie, you can’t go wrong with chicken soup, aka “Jewish penicillin”, especially if you’re feeling under the weather, or just want comfort after a tough day of classes.
Ingredients (serves 6)
1kg whole chicken
2L water
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 large leek, washed, sliced
1 large carrot, peeled, chopped small
4 sticks celery, chopped small
300g dried tagliatelle or egg noodles
2 large handfuls fresh flat leaf parsley; keep the stalks separate
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 Place the chicken in a large saucepan. Add the water, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and parsley stalks, and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
2 Remove the chicken, discard the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and parsley stalks, and set stock aside.
3 Allow the chicken to cool. Remove and discard the skin and shred the meat. Season with salt and pepper.
4 Place the chicken carcass back into the saucepan, bring the stock to the boil over a medium-high heat, and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into another saucepan and discard the carcass.
5 Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat. Sauté the leeks, carrots and celery for 5 minutes then add to the stock.
6 Simmer for 20 minutes, then add the noodles. Cook noodles according to the packet instructions, adding more water if necessary. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
7 Serve in individual bowls, topped with the shredded chicken, and chopped parsley.
Nutritional information per serving: 495kcal, 2092kJ, 40.2g protein, 12.0g fat, 60.4g carbohydrates, 6.3g fibre