Brrr it’s cold outside. One of the joys of winter is cooking up a big batch of delicious and warming soup on a Sunday afternoon to devour for an evening meal or pack and take to work as a lunchtime treat.
And if your office has a cold circulating, this can be a beautiful dish to make up in bulk and take into the office to share and enjoy with your colleagues.
What you’ll need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion diced
4 cloves garlic minced
2 large carrots chopped
1 stick of celery chopped
6 skinless chicken thighs, bone in (or 8 legs)
2 litres chicken stock or broth
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes, crushed (adjust to your tastes)
200 g green beans, chopped in thirds
3/4 cup corn kernels
120 g baby spinach leaves
1/2 quart (litre) of water, as needed
200 g vermicelli or egg noodles (or angel hair pasta)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
Method:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion for 2 minutes, then add garlic, celery and carrots; cook for 5 minutes.
Add the chicken thighs, broth (stock), crushed bouillon, green beans and corn kernels. Top up with water if needed to cover all of the ingredients.
Increase heat and bring to a boil for about 4 minutes. Reduce heat, partially cover the pot with a lid, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Transfer chicken to a plate and shred the meat; discard the bones.
Add the chicken back into the soup along with the noodles. Cover and cook for 6-8 minutes while occasionally stirring to separate noodles.
Stir in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the soup (about 3 minutes, pressing leaves into the liquid with the tip of a wooden spoon). Mix parsley through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve warm.