LEEKS AND CHICKEN SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat all ingredients except leeks to boiling in large stockpot or Dutch oven.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add leeks.
• Bring back to a boil; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer until thickest pieces of chicken are done, about 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken from broth and cool slightly; remove chicken from bones and skin.
• Skim fat from both and remove bay leaf.
• Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces and return to broth.
• Heat about 5 minutes; serve.

Steps:

• Warm oven to 200C
• Slice top of the garlic bulb and place in a foil envelope. Drizzle with little olive oil and bit of salt & pepper. Close foil and place in warm oven. Cook for about 35 minutes. Once cooked set aside to cool slightly and then squeeze out the garlic from the bulbs.
• While the garlic is cooking, prepare your chicken breasts (keep whole) in an oven proof dish with little olive oil and seasoning. Cook for about 15-20 minutes depending on their size (you want them so just cooked; nice and tender with no browning). Remove from oven and let meat rest. Slice chicken or break up with fingers so the pieces of chicken are to your own preference.
• Place the two stock pots into a jug and add 900ml of boiling water. After about 5 minutes give a good stir with a fork so the stock pot has blended with the water to leave a nice vegetable stock.
• With the leeks, you want to cut off the dark green part and discard. You should be left with the white and light green part of the leek. Cut the ends and slice down the centre long ways. Keep the two halves together and then slice in the other direction. Place in a collender, break leeks up and wash.
• Lightly warm a deep wide saucepan with little olive oil and add the sliced leeks. Stir for a few minutes over a medium heat.
• Go back to your stock and give another stir. Then pour about 200-250ml of stock in with the leeks so they are just covered (this will depend on the size pan you are using). Simmer for about 5-7 minutes until leeks are soft.
• Once items are cooked accordingly, you are ready to build your soup. Place in a blender, two thirds of the leeks in stock, roasted garlic, about one third of the cooked chicken and about 500ml of stock. Blend until smooth (if needed add more stock accordingly).
• Add the blended mixture back into your saucepan with the remaining leeks and rest of the chicken. Warm through. According to your preference of thickness, add the remaining stock.
• Sqeeze the juice of half the lemon into the soup, add the tarragon (if using) and stir.
• Taste and add more seasoning according to your own preference. (Hopefully you should not require any further salt because the knorr stock pots have plenty of flavour)
• Pour into bowls and serve with warm crusty bread