Chicken & Vegetable Broth

Get your glow back with a bowlful of this Chicken & Vegetable Broth. Bitefuls of carrot and swede, the occasional satisfying pop of a pea, chicken that’s fallen from the bone and glistening pearl barley… 

You know that feeling when you’ve been out in the sunshine all day and you feel all glowing and full of life? It can be hard to recreate that at this time of year. The combination of grey skies, dark mornings and rainy days can leave you feeling pretty lack lustre and, if things get really bad, downright depressed.

That’s when I turn to food for a spot of comfort.  I’m not talking cakes and chocolate here (although I certainly wouldn’t discount them!) No, instead, why not try to replace what’s missing in sunshine and vitamin D with food that fills you with goodness and warmth on the inside?

This Chicken and Vegetable Broth is full to the brim with wholesome comfort and goodness.  A steaming bowlful slurped with a hunk of crusty bread, a good book and if possible, some sort of roaring fire, cannot fail to give you that glow of satisfaction that’s so often missing around this time of year.

For more words of wisdom regarding comfort food try this…

PS – I’m currently lucky enough to be on hols in the very lovely village of Ringstead in Norfolk and can confirm that a brisk walk along the beach is another great way to get a healthy, happy glow.  Said walk, followed by this Broth is pretty close to perfect.

Chicken & Vegetable Broth

2015-10-27 16:36:58

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Ingredients

1. 1 tbs olive oil
2. 6 skinless chicken thighs (approx 600 g)
3. 2 leeks, sliced into rings
4. 2 carrots, chopped into 1.5 cm cubes
5. 1/3 swede, chopped into 1.5 cm cubes
6. 2 tbs tomato purée
7. 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
8. 750 ml chicken stock
9. 50 g pearl barley
10. 100 g frozen peas

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in large pan and add the chicken thighs. Brown on each side and then remove to a plate. You may need to do this in batches.
2. Now add the chopped leeks to the pan and cook gently until they have softened.
3. Add the carrots and swede, herbs and tomato purée. Stir gently for a minute or so before adding in the stock.
4. Now add the chicken thighs back in, along with any juices that have collected on the plate
5. Bring to the boil and add in the pearl barley
6. Simmer gently for 45-60 minutes until the vegetables have softened and the chicken has started to fall from the bone
7. Now remove the chicken from the bones and add it back to the broth
8. Finally, add the peas and simmer for a further 5-10 mins

Notes

1. The dried herbs are included here so that the lack of fresh can never get between you and a bowl of broth. They can however, be very happily replaced with fresh - such as thyme, rosemary, parsley etc
2. Equally, don't let a lack of leeks get in your way. These can be substituted with a large onion.

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