Chicken soup recipe

Author: Christine B Serves: 6-8 Time: 2days prep+1h30′

Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

• chicken thighs (8)
• 2 large onions- peeled and chopped into large chunks
• one packet of celery stalks – use a potato peeler along the stalks to remove the stringy bits, chop into small chunks, wash)
• 8 medium to large carrots – top and tall and chop into chunks, wash
• 2 butternut squash or 1 pumpkin – peel, deseed&chop into large chunks, wash (use a potato peeler to skin it’s easier)
• 4 corn on the corb – chop into thirds, wash
• 4 bell peppers assorted colours – deseed and slice into bite size pieces, wash
• 2 large potatoes or sweet potatoes – peel and chop into quarters, wash
• 3 platains, wash score the skin and cut into thirds (optional but yummy)

Seasoning

• 1 tbs sea salt
• freshly crushed black peppercorns – be liberal I add 3 tablespoons dried thyme
• a pinch or two dried chili flakes (my preference) or a scots bonnet pepper
• 1 packet of cock soup mix – or my preference chicken soup flavour and chinese noodles (1 nest of the dried noodles crushed into pieces – easy to break with a rolling pin)

Directions

Clean and wash the chicken, keep the skin it adds to the flavour.

In a bowl add the chicken and the salt, pepper and the thyme, be liberal with the thyme enough to coat the chicken

Cover the bowl and place in fridge (I have it to season at least 2 to 3 days)

Now we’re cooking!

In a large pot add your seasoned chicken, to this add the onione, carrots, celery and pumpkin or butternut squash

Add one kettle of boiled water to the pot then add cold water to the pot until almost full (leave at least 2 inches)

Put on a high heat until your soup is boiling, then reduce heat and leave to simmer, stir occasionally – do not cover the pot – this should take 30-40 minutes

You’re almost finished whe the onions are translucent and the skin of the chicken floats to the top of the pot.

Remove the chicken skin and the bones, at this point your chicken should already be shredded you should not have to remove the chicken from the pot (lazy cooks hack)

Add to the pot corn on the cob, potatoes, bell peppers (and crushed noodles if using soup seasoning)

Add the chili flakes or Scots bonnet.

If you like boiled dumplings or spinner dumplings this is the time for you to add it to the pot (not my preference it taste like paste)

Place some of the soup liquid into a jug, add the soup seasoning or cook soup mix to the jug and stir until it’s dissolved, add this mixture to the pot.

Stir the soup until it’s mixed

Taste the soup and if needed add any additional salt or pepper (doubtful but it’s to your taste)

Pace the lid on the pot but leave a gap so it doesn’t bubble over

Place the platains in a steamer and bring to a boil (they are cooked separately as they break apart easily) once the platains are cooked, peel and set to once side

After 15 minutes when the potatoes and corn is cooked, stir the pot

Remove the Scots bonnet

Serve the soup in a bowl and add as many platains as you like

Once cool this is great to freeze

Bon appetit