Soups & stews
Chicken, leek and mushroom soup
This is a hearty soup and can be served as a main course with crusty bread. Eat it straight away; it doesn't keep well as the rice will continue to absorb the liquid and turn mushy. If you've got them, a few dried mushrooms add a depth of flavour to the soup. If you don't quite have 200g cooked chicken leftover, just throw in what you have.
Ingredients
- 10g dried mushrooms (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 leek, washed, trimmed and finely sliced (use green parts too)
- 100g rice (brown short grain is good for this, but basmati will work too)
- leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or use dried)
- 100g mushrooms, cleaned, quartered and sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1-1.2 litres chicken or veg stock
- 200g cooked chicken, shredded
- salt and pepper
Method
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Step 1
Put the dried mushrooms (if using) in a heatproof bowl. Add just enough boiling water to cover and leave to stand.
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Step 2
In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the leek. Gently fry for 8-10 minutes, until softened. Rinse the rice well in boiling water to remove the starch, drain and keep to one side.
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Step 3
Drain the dried mushrooms, chop them finely and reserve the liquid. Add the dried mushrooms, mushroom liquid, thyme, fresh mushrooms, carrots, 1 litre stock and rice to the saucepan. Season with salt and pepper (you won't need much salt if using dried mushrooms). Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked.
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Step 4
Add the chicken. Simmer for a couple of minutes to warm the chicken through. Add a little more stock if needed, to thin the soup. Check the seasoning and serve immediately.
