Chicken roast is so simple but probably my favourite roast of all time, I always have Yorkshire puddings and crispy roast potatoes and no veg 🫣. Chicken gravy is epic too if you use the chicken juices and a good quality stock. So after my roast I had a gorgeous carcass left and I always boil it up with any veg knocking around in fridge along with some Asian spices. On this one I was lucky as when shopping I managed to get a bag of stew vegetables reduced to 50p (small win) so the stock was so easy to make. I always go down the Asian route but really fancied trying the Chinese sweetcorn and chicken soup as when I was a kid if I was poorly my mum would always go to our local Chinese and get me one.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the Stock

• 1 left over chicken, meat removed and set aside
• 1 inch piece of ginger medium sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, bashed
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 star anise
• 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 1 lemongrass stick, bashed
• Mixed raw vegetables, chopped chunky eg carrot, leek, celery etc ( I bought a pre made mixed bag)
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 1 litre of water

For the Soup

• 900ml chicken stock as above or bought
• leftover chicken meat, roughly shredded
• 200g sweetcorn tinned or thawed frozen
• Nest of vermicelli noodles, soaked to packet instructions
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp fresh chives, finely chopped

Directions

Chicken Stock

1. Place all of the ingredients in to a stock pot, making sure to snuggle the vegetables and aromatics in and around the carcass.
2. Bring to the boil then simmer with a lid for an hour. After an hour remove lid and simmer for another 30 minutes so the stock reduces slightly to enhance all of the flavours. Turn off the heat and leave to cool for another 30 minutes. Drain and set aside. ( I don’t let mine cook and sit for more that 2 hours as I find it can start to go bitter if it’s left too long un drained).

For the Soup

1. Put half of the sweetcorn (100g) into a food processor and blitz to a paste, I had to add a splash of the stock to help it loosen, water would be fine too. Set aside.
2. Pour the stock into a pan, bring to the boil then turn the heat right down to a simmer. Add the blended sweetcorn paste, give it a good stir and simmer for a few minutes so the stock starts to thicken slightly.
3. Add in the cooked chicken, rest of the sweetcorn, soaked noodles and the soy sauces. Bring back up to a simmer (not boiling) for a couple of minutes.
4. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the beaten egg in a steady stream stirring with a wooden spoon so the egg looks like noodles and not clumps
5. Share the soup between 2 bowls, sprinkle over the chives and enjoy 😋