chicken minestrone with zucchini noodles
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1kg chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup (70g) tomato paste
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 litres hot chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 400g can white (cannellini) beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups (100g) shredded silverbeet (Swiss chard)
- 3 zucchini (courgette), thinly sliced lengthways using a spiraliser or julienne peeler
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- baguette, to serve
- Heat half the oil in a large non-stick saucepan over high heat. Add the chicken, in batches, and cook for 2–3 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, celery and carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the stock, bay leaves, thyme and chicken and cook, covered, for 8 minutes or until the soup comes to the boil and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and, using 2 forks, shred the meat. Add the beans and silverbeet to the soup and remove from the heat. Divide the zucchini between bowls, top with the chicken and soup and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with baguette. Serves 4.
© DONNA HAY GROUP
