Herb Chicken Soup With Spring Vegetables Food

HEARTY ITALIAN CHICKEN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onion and crushed red pepper flakes and cook until the onions begin to soften, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, tie the parsley sprigs, lemon zest, and fennel tops together. Add the herb bundle, broth, 2 cups of water, and, if using, the cheese rind. Bring to a very gentle simmer and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the meat from the bones in large strips, and set aside.
• 2. Meanwhile, add the sliced fennel, carrots, and celery to the broth and season with salt, to taste. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 5 minutes. Stir in the noodles and cook until just al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved chicken, baby spinach, and Parmesan until the chicken is heated through and the spinach is wilted. Discard the herb bundle and cheese rind. Stir in lemon juice, to taste. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve with additional Parmesan for passing.

HERB CHICKEN SOUP WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• 1. Tie parsley, tarragon, and thyme sprigs and bay leaf together with kitchen twine and place in a large saucepan with onion, carrots, celery, lemon zest, and chicken breasts. Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to low and skim surface. Cover and cook until chicken is firm to touch, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer chicken to a platter. When chicken is cool enough to handle, pull meat in large strips from bones; discard bones.
• 2. Add asparagus, peas, and mushrooms to broth. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove herb bundle, return chicken to broth and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Pour soup into 4 large bowls and garnish with chopped parsley and tarragon.

HERBED CHICKEN WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl combine the thyme, parsley, garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the chicken pieces on a work surface. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and push the herb mixture under the skin. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
• Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin side down, when the oil is hot. Cook until the skin is crispy and golden, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook the same way on the other side. Turn the heat off the pan and reserve. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, skin side up again, and finish cooking in the oven, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile return the same pan to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter has melted add the cipollini onions and carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until tender and golden in places, about 7 minutes. Add the chicken broth and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the snap peas
• and mushrooms. Simmer over low heat until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Remove the chicken from the oven. Spoon the vegetables onto a serving platter along with the chicken. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately.

HERBY CHICKEN & BUTTER BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• If using a leftover chicken carcass, place in a large saucepan and cover with 2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and gently simmer for 20 mins. Meanwhile, heat the oil in another large saucepan. If using chicken thighs, add these and brown on all sides, then remove and set aside.
• Add the onions to the oil and cook for 10 mins until starting to caramelise. Add the carrots, herbs, spices and flour, and stir for 1-2 mins to toast the spices. If using a chicken carcass, strain the cooking liquid into the pan with the vegetables, otherwise add the browned chicken thighs and stock. Stir well, cover and simmer for 30 mins.
• If using chicken thighs, remove them from the pan, shred the meat and discard the bones. Add the meat (or the meat from the carcass) back into the soup, along with the butter beans, season and heat through for 1-2 mins.
• Use a hand-held blender to blitz the soup until smooth, or leave it chunky. Or blend about half, so it's creamy but still has chunks of chicken, carrot and butter bean. Serve with extra pepper, and good crusty bread.