Lentil, cabbage and chicken soup

This is a recipe which can go in many directions. It doesn’t have to end up as a soup at all.

SERVES 4

To make the soup is very simple and takes about forty minutes, but you do need to have certain ingredients already prepared such as cooked lentils or other pulses and cereals, a cooked chicken thigh and its cooking liquid for stock for the soup.

TOP TIPS:

Braise all the vegetables with some pancetta. You can then decide whether to turn it into a soup or a warm mixed cereal salad, with lentils spelt and pearl barley. The important thing is that the cereals in both cases play a secondary role. The flavour of the vegetables has to be at the forefront of the dish.

The other secret in my opinion is that these autumn flavours work better with if you start with beef lard rather than olive oil.

STEPS

To make the stock for the soup. In a pan, cover two chicken legs with water and add a carrot an onion, a stick of celery, a few pepper corns, some thyme and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil and simmer for about forty minutes before leaving to cool.

To cook the lentils. In a pan, cover the lentils with water and add a carrot an onion, a stick of celery, a few pepper corns, some thyme, a bay leaf and a piece of bacon or bacon rind. Bring to the boil and simmer for about forty minutes. Leave to cool.

The soup. Cut the pancetta into small batons and all the vegetables into a neat small dice, shred the cabbage and the broccoletti leaves finely and break down the florets of the broccolo romano into micro florets.

In a heavy based casserole heat a little extra virgin olive oil and add the onion and the pancetta and start to braise the vegetables adding one after the other. Cook until the onion is translucent then add the carrot and the celery. Cook for a further couple of minutes before adding the potato. Cook a little longer how long? then add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Add the lentils and the broccolo romano and continue cooking, stirring it almost as if it was a risotto, before adding the cabbage.

Remove the chicken thighs from the cooking liquid and pull the meat apart in small shreds. Add to the pan, stir in then add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and turn down to a gentle simmer. Cook for a further ten minutes, check the seasoning and serve.

Or

Before adding the stock add a small amount of spelt and pearl barley. Ladle in only a small amount of stock and stir the pan to heat the cereals through before serving.