Healing chicken soup

For most of us chicken soup brings back memories of being cared for when unwell, it makes us feel warm, cosy and loved. What I love about this recipe is that it uses up your food scraps and make a delicious wholesome meal at the same time. Although this takes a bit of time it is really easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• 6 carrots
• 6 sticks of celery
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 4 whole peppercorns
• 1 free-range roast chicken carcass, with leftover chicken attached
• 1 large knob unsalted butter
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 shallots
• a few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 200 g baby spinach
• 2 handfuls seasonal greens, such as kale or broccoli
• 1 lemon 

Method:

1. Enjoy a roast chicken dinner and reserve the carcass with leftover chicken for later.
2. Peel and roughly chop the onions, roughly chop 2 carrots and celery sticks, then place them in a large pan with the bay leaves, peppercorns, a pinch of sea salt and the chicken carcass.
3. Fill the pan with cold water so that everything is covered, then place on a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface from time to time.
4. About 40 minutes in, 20 minutes before the stock is ready, begin makeing the base of the soup. Peel the remaining carrots and slice ½cm thick with the remaining celery. Peel and finely slice the garlic and shallots. Pick the parsley leaves, finely chopping the leaves and stalks. Roughly shred the spinach.
5. Place the butter and 1 tablespoon of oil in another large pan on a low heat, add the garlic, shallots and parsley stalks and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until softened.
6. Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 minutes.
7. When the stock is ready, remove the chicken carcass, pull off any remaining pieces of meat and leave to one side, then discard the carcass.
8. Strain the stock through a sieve into the veg pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
9. Add the seasonal greens and cook for a further 10 minutes, adding the spinach at the last minute.
10. Finish the soup by squeezing in the lemon juice, then taste and season to perfection, if needed.
11. Divide between bowls and top with any leftover shredded chicken, a sprinkling of parsley leaves and a good hit of black pepper.