Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Chicken and vegetable soup

Chicken soup for the soul...Comfort food at its best. And so easy to make.

Like all soups this one needs a good stock to start with. That is what will give the soup its true flavour. You can find  the recipe for chicken stock right here http://mykitchenbyswati.blogspot.ca/2014/11/learn-basics-chicken-stock.html
A good stock, with all the other vegetables and aromatics we add will make a really good soup.


2 litres chicken stock
1 cup cubed chicken (boneless) I usually use the thigh meat, it holds up better
1/2 cup celery diced
1/2 cup carrots diced
1/2 cup yellow onions diced
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig thyme
salt
pepper
lemon
1/3 cup pearl barley
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic finely chopped
olive oil

Use a big enough pot, so you don't crowd the ingredients.
Heat about 2 TBS of olive oil, add the 2 TBS chopped onion and 1  clove of garlic and saute till transparent. You do not want to brown the onion. Add the barley and saute well. You will notice a difference - the barley will feel sandy when its been sauteed well. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add the cubed chicken, Saute till chicken changes colour.
Add the celery, carrots and onions. Give it a quick stir and add the chicken stock. Drop in the whole garlic cloves, the sprig of thyme. Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cover and let it cook, till the barley is soft.
Fish out the thyme and the garlic cloves. Add a healthy squeeze of lemon. Check for seasoning.

A perfect meal for a winter evening.




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