RECIPE: Thuto Mahlangu’s chicken soup

Nutritious, big on flavour and easy to prepare, chef Thuto Mahlangu’s chicken soup has all the makings of a cozy meal idea for the weekend.

“Chicken soup for the soul”, as they say. What is better when you are under the weather or feeling down. After all it does mend broken bones, hearts and sore throats.

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Yields 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Chicken soup:

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 800g skinless and deboned chicken, cubed
• 1 large white or brown onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 handful of rosemary
• 1/2 handful of thyme
• 1/2 handful parsley
• 6 chopped garlic cloves
• 50 g butter
• 50 g oil
• 1/2 – 1 cup cream
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

Herb oil:

• 50 g parsley
• 50 g basil
• 50 g coriander
• Salt to taste
• 350 ml oil of choice

METHOD

Creamy Chicken Soup

1. Melt butter with oil in a heavy base pot over a medium heat, then add your garlic, onion and celery and allow to slightly brown. Add your herbs and stir.
2. Then add chicken and brown slightly. Season the ingredients in the pot with salt and pepper.
3. Gradually add stock to pot with a spoon, deglazing the bottom of the pan.
4. Once stock is added allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
5. Add half the cream to the pot and taste for seasoning. Correct seasoning if needed.
6. Use blender or stick blender to blend until fine.
7. Strain soup, taste and correct seasoning then stir in more cream if needed.

Method: Herb oil

1. Put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil.
2. Get a separate container with ice water.

1. Once the water is boiling, put in herbs and blanch for 30 seconds then remove and put in ice water for 5 minutes.
2. Drain the water and squeeze any excess water out of the herbs.
3. Put herbs and a pinch of salt in blender with a 1/3 of the oil and blend until a paste forms. Then add rest of the oil gradually and blend until a nice herb oil consistency.
4. Strain and drizzle herb oil on top of soup as is your liking. Enjoy!

READ: Who doesn’t love good food and good art?