Easy Cock-A-Leekie Soup

Well it has been quiet on here, hasn't it. I would apologise, but I have been away!! While London poured its cold rain on people trudging to work - I was in sunny Gran Canaria reading and relaxing. However, getting off the plane on Saturday night reminded me how cold London actually is right now - so Sunday lunchtime, I needed hot, comforting soup. Eaten with a comfy pair of socks on and a thick woollen jumper.

I was lucky that the leeks I had bought before the holiday had survived and I always have chicken breasts in the freezer. So Cock-A-Leekie it was. Its a Scottish soup that has been around since the 16th century and with few ingredients, is so simple to make and gorgeous.

Ingredient:

2 chicken breasts, sliced
2 leeks, sliced into rings
1.2 litres chicken stock (a stock cube is fine)
1/4 cup (65g) white rice
4 bay leaves
salt & pepper
parsley to serve

Method:

Put the stock, bay leaves and sliced chicken in a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and cook on a simmer for 30 minutes. You will need to use a tablespoon to lift off the impurities from the surface and discard. (Do as much as you can.. but if you try to remove it all, you'll lose too much soup).

Add the leeks and rice and bring back to the boil. Turn back down to a simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for a further 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped fresh parsley to serve.

I served this with (easy) poppy seed rolls. Just use a pack of ready to make ciabatta. Follow the instructions but add 3 tablespoons of poppy seeds before mixing. Make into rolls and bake as normal. Delicious!