'BIG' CHICKEN SOUP, Frugal, Ill & Infirm

Feeling under the weather?  Here's a chunky chicken soup to feed body and soul.

Chunky Chicken Soup is ambrosial; deeply flavoured, beautiful in texture, tender and easily digested.

In every cupboard or freezer, there should always be 'Big' Soups for emergencies when unable/unwilling to cook due to illness or the general malaises of life.

A recent trial of tinned was exceptionally disappointing; thick and gloopy - definitely not in a good way - and characterised by a strong, deeply unpleasant metallic flavour. 

It was enough to send 67 down the home-made, freezable route and there are several portions in the 67 freezer..  (See also Big Beef Soup). 

For emergencies, there are also a few Baxter's soups in the cupboard.  They're not as chunky as tinned 'Big' soups but more tasty and satisfying.  And probably better for you.  

67's Big Chicken Soup is great for the ill or infirm, or kids or anyone looking for a nutritious tasty easily digested meal.

Oh, and it's wallet-friendly and low-fat/salt/preservative.  

Cost: £2.00
Serves: 4-6

Ingred:
   7oz/200g chicken, organic boiling fowl if you can get it, in one inch/2cm cubes
   seasoned flour (67 used chickpea flour but any will do)

   olive oil
   med onion, diced or coarsely processed
   1 1/2 sticks celery in med dice
   1 large carrot in one inch cubes
   6oz+/180gm baby new potatoes or washed potatoes in one-inch cubes
   1 cup sweet potato in one inch cubes (opt)
   1 cup parsnips in one inch cubes (opt)

   enough stock or water to cover meat & veg by one inch
   slug of dry sherry (opt)

   1 generous mug thickly sliced mushrooms
   2/3 mug frozen peas (opt)

   2 tbsp rice or other flour with 1/2 ounce butter

Method:

1. Toss chicken in a plastic bag with flavoured flour and shake until pieces are covered
2. Sauté veg in tablespoon of olive oil over med low heat in a partly covered large saucepan, 20 mins, stirring occasionally; do not allow to burn; onions should be translucent not brown
3. Add chicken with stock/water and sherry  
4. Bring to the boil; lower heat, let bubble 5 mins, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface
5. Pour into slow cooker; add more liquid if necessary to cover the contents by one inch
6. Cook on high 2-3 hours or until chicken is tender and veg are soft (or on low for 4-6 hrs)
7. Meanwhile saute mushrooms in a large saucepan in just enough olive oil to prevent sticking; when nearly done add juice of half a lemon, pepper and a bit of salt; cook until all the liquid is gone; set aside
8. When chicken & veg are ready, remove meat & veg; set aside with mushrooms 
9. Pour soup liquid into the pan used for mushrooms; bring to the boil; mash flour and butter & add to juices
10. Allow to thicken; add chicken, veg & peas if using 
11. Simmer half an hour; check seasoning & thickness - you may want to add more water
12. Serve with crusty bread or Cheese Scones

Comment:

'Absolutely ambrosial. The meat is tender; the vegetables soft & yielding and the liquid has a wonderful consistency and is perfectly flavoured. I'd love this even if I wasn't sick!' Retired journalist

Tips:

• the flavour of boiling fowl is wonderful but be careful; some are stuffed with antibiotics
• before decanting soup from the slow-cooker, check the tenderness of the chicken; some boiling fowl need more cooking than others
• Baxters is the soup brand 67 normally depends on for emergencies ; they don't do 'big' soups but some of the soups are thick, flavourful and chunky

         more soups on Nav Bar: Recipes II

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This recipe  has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.