Creamy Chicken Soup
1kg pack free-range chicken thighs, skin removed
300ml dry white wine
2 large onions, cut into large wedges
4 celery sticks, quartered
3 leeks, quartered
2 sprigs thyme, plus extra leaves for sprinkling
2 bay leaves
1tsp salt
½tsp ground white, or black, pepper
40g plain flour
300ml double cream
2ltrs water
Put the chicken thighs in a very large, heavy-based pan and fry for a few mins, turning frequently to lightly colour them.
Providing the heat’s low, there’s no need to add any oil.
Pour in the wine, turn up the heat and boil rapidly to evaporate the alcohol.
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Hide AdPile in the veg and herbs, add one teaspoon of salt and the white (or black) pepper.
Pour in two litres of boiling water.
Cover the pan and simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken and veg are tender. Take out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs and cool for about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from the soup, then strip the meat from the bones.
Put all but 140g of the chicken back into the pan.
Blitz the soup with a hand blender or in batches in a food processor until very smooth, then return to the pan.
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Hide AdBlend the flour and cream together with a couple of ladles of the soup, then stir the creamy mixture into the rest of the soup and heat, stirring continuously, until thickened.
You can blitz again if it looks a little lumpy.
Chop the remaining chicken and stir into the soup.
Scatter with thyme leaves to serve.
Per serving: 347 kcals, protein 2g, carbs 10g, fat 23g, sat fat 13g, fibre 2g, sugar 5g, salt 0.9g