Chicken Soup for the Soul ... with some tasty vegetables !

This low carb recipe suggestion called 'Chicken Soup For The Soul' is from Real Meal Revolution … "Chicken soup for the soul says it all. This is basically a repeat of the original stock making process, but you are doubling up on the nutrients and flavour.

Ingredients:

Six Servings

400 g chicken thighs (boneless and thinly sliced)

1 medium stalk celery (cut into bite sized chunks)
3 thick leeks (sliced into thick discs)
1 large carrot (cut in half lengthways and then into 1cm thick pieces)
1 whole bay leaf
1 pinch salt and black pepper
1 handful Italian parsley (roughly chopped)
50 ml lemon juice

1 l chicken stock 

Method:

1. Place everything apart from the seasoning, parsley and lemon juice into a medium pot.
2. Pump the heat up until it hits a rolling boil, then drop it down to a gentle simmer.
3. Leave it like that for about an hour, topping up with water if it reduces too much (only top it up to the level at which you started, otherwise you’ll dilute it).
4. By this point the chicken should be tender and the vegetables should be soft.

5. Add the parsley and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste and serve." 

Above words, picture and recipe from here 

Oftentimes recipes will specify the use of flat-leaf or Italian parsley. Can you substitute curly leaves for flat, and vice versa? What’s the difference beyond appearance?

Used to perk up dishes with its fresh green flavour and colour, parsley can be much more than a garnish. The two main cultivars of this herb are curly parsley (Petroselinum crispum) with ruffled leaves and Italian parsley (Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum) with flat leaves.

In general, flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavour, while the curly variety is associated with decoration. Some claim that curly-leaf parsley has no flavour or, conversely, that it tastes more bitter, but it really depends on the particular plant, its growing conditions, and age. Both kinds of parsley may be used in cooking and when substituting one for the other, taste to determine the flavour and adjust as desired. Think, too, about the texture that would work best in your dish.

Finally, don’t discard the stems, which have a stronger flavour than the leaves and can be used in a bouquet garni and added to homemade stock or a pot of beans.

Dear reader - you will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan