Food with Passion: Comforting hearth Irish & Chicken & Vegtable Soup

John Paul Kennedy is a self-taught cook and an avid fan of collecting cookery books with a passion for good old-fashioned home cooking.

His passion for proper family cooking stems from his TWO Grandmothers, who were both excellent cooks, one of whom was a trained chef.

JP promises to bring us plenty of family-inspired recipes and tasty treats while showing us how to get the basics right.

Delighted to be back in the kitchen and sharing recipes with you again after the summer break and, what a summer it was! we were lucky to enjoy some truly fantastic weather, and like many of you, i’m left wondering where the time has gone and how we’re already beginning to think about getting back into routines and embracing a new season.

for me, the arrival of autumn always brings a shift towards comforting seasonal cooking. as the evenings become cooler and the days a little shorter, i find myself reaching for recipes that warm the soul, fill the kitchen with wonderful aromas, and bring a sense of comfort to family mealtimes.

This comforting hearty irish chicken & vegetable soup does exactly that. yes, it’s soup season again, and this recipe is the perfect make-ahead meal, creating a generous batch that’s ideal for cosy suppers, lunchboxes, and everything in between. packed with wholesome ingredients and rich homemade flavour, it’s a recipe i return to year after year.

Simple, nourishing, and wonderfully satisfying, it’s quite simply a big hug in a bowl.

Ingredients: 

• 4 medium carrots roughly chopped
• 2 onions roughly chopped
• 4 celery sticks sliced
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil 50g irish unsalted butter
• 2 chicken stock cubes
• 1litre of water plus approx. 400ml extra to add at the end
• 3 chicken fillets
• 100g frozen garden peas
• 2 bay leaves
• 200g soup mix ( barley, green split peas & red lentils – (washed & soaked for a minimum 1 hour or overnight if you have time) sea salt and ground black pepper
• large batch of chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Method

1. heat the rapeseed oil and butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over a medium heat.
2. add the onions and leek and cook gently for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant but not coloured.
3. add the carrots, celery, soaked soup mix, stock cubes, bay leaves, chicken fillets and 1 litre of water. season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and allow the soup to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. carefully remove the chicken fillets from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle.
6. using two forks, shred or tear the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
7. return the shredded chicken to the soup along with the frozen peas and continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes, or until the vegetables, barley and lentils are tender and the flavours have developed beautifully.
8. remove and discard the bay leaves.
9. Take a ladleful of the soup, including some of the vegetables and lentils, and blitz in a food processor or blender until smooth. stir this back into the pot. This helps create a richer texture while still retaining plenty of chunky vegetables and chicken.
10. stir through the chopped fresh parsley and add an additional 400-500ml of water, depending on your preferred consistency. adjust the seasoning if required.
11. serve piping hot with thick slices of crusty bread generously smeared with irish butter.

This is one of those wonderfully wholesome recipes that tastes even better the next day.

The barley, lentils and split peas not only add plenty of goodness and nourishment, but also give the soup a delicious depth, heartiness and natural thickness that makes it incredibly satisfying.

The recipe makes a large batch, making it perfect for cosy family suppers, work-from-home lunches or filling the freezer for those busy days when you need something comforting in a hurry.

Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and it freezes beautifully, making it an ideal make-ahead meal.

Simple, nourishing and packed full of flavour, this comforting hearty irish chicken & vegetable soup is quite simply a big hug in a bowl. enjoy!