A quick and easy chicken and pasta soup recipe that will comfort a cold and leave you feeling nourished
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 knob butter
- 1 large carrot cut into thin julienne strips
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 4 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
- 1 tsp garlic paste or one crushed garlic clove
- 200g cooked chicken pieces shredded
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 150 g pasta shapes
- 1 bay leaf
- 100g savoy cabbage shredded
- 100 ml madeira optional
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Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a gentle heat, add the carrot strips, lemon zest, parsley stalks and garlic and soften for a few minutes.
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Add the chicken pieces, giving a good stir before adding the hot chicken stock, pasta and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes until the pasta is just cooked though.
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Add the cabbage, lemon juice and madeira and allow to simmer for a few more minutes. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve scattered with the chopped parsley leaves.
Tip: Frozen cooked chicken breast pieces go really well in this soup and are excellent value.
Go veggie: For a vegetarian alternative use vegetable stock and quorn pieces or marinated tofu.