There’s no doubt it’s winter outside, and there’s nothing more comforting and delicious in the wet and cold than a really good bowl of soup. Look no further than the wholesome recipe for chicken and veggie soup in Helen Tzouganatos’s fabulous book, Easy Gluten Free (Plum). In it, Helen shows us a selection of yum recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone, but also offer the added benefit of being totally gluten free.
SERVES 4–6
On a chilly winter’s day there is nothing I love more than a hearty bowl of chicken soup loaded with healthy veggies, ginger and garlic to boost my immunity. Crammed with superfood goodness frompumpkin and silverbeet and protein from lean chicken, this soup is low carb, bursting with antioxidants and insanely delicious. The silverbeet reduces quite a bit in the pan so don’t be concerned if it looks like you have chopped too much.
Ingredients
6 chicken drumsticks
sea salt flakes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, halved and sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
200 g silverbeet, chopped
220 g peeled butternut pumpkin,
cut into 3 cm cubes
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Generously season the chicken drumsticks with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide-based saucepan over medium heat. Sear the drumsticks for about 5 minutes, turning to colour on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the pan, add the onion, carrot, celery and a pinch of salt and saut. for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and saut. for another 30 seconds.
Return the drumsticks to the pan and pour in 2 litres of water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes.
Add the silverbeet and pumpkin and simmer, covered, for another 10–15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Remove the chicken drumsticks from the soup. Allow to cool a little, then peel off the skin, shred the meat and return it to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice, season with pepper and serve.
TIPS
• You can replace the silverbeet with other healthy greens, such as spinach or kale.
• Use sweet potato instead of pumpkin, if preferred.
• I use chicken drumsticks because they are cheap and easy to cook with, but you can use any cut of chicken. Make sure it is still on the bone to add more flavour.
Easy Gluten Free by Helen Tzouganatos, Published by Plum, RRP $39.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons
