Total Time 6 hours - Serves 5
Soup is perfect any time of the year but especially in autumn and winter.
Get it all in the slow cooker in the morning and when you get home you will be greeted with the most amazing soup.
Ingredients
4 chicken legs quarters, roughly 1kg.
500g of frozen mixed veg, I used a Mediterranean veg mix.
1 onion, sliced.
3 garlic cloves.
1 small handful of fresh thyme.
1 chicken stock pot.
2 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes.
500ml of water.
400g tin of cannellini beans.
Method
Start by seasoning the chicken legs then browning in oil for a few minutes on all sides. If you are pushed for time you could skip this part.
Once the chicken is golden brown add to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients, apart from the beans and season well. Give everything a good stir then pop the lid on, turn onto low and leave for 6 hours or longer if you wish.
Once the 6 hours are up the chicken should be super tender and just falling off the bone. Remove the chicken and place it to one side. Carefully remove the skin and get rid of the bones. Then using 2 forks shred the chicken apart.
Take a handheld stick blender, whizz the soup and veg till smooth. Return the chicken and add the beans. Check for seasoning and leave for 5-10 minutes or till the beans get warm. Garnish with some basil leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, enjoy.
Extra: For a little more texture I like to make some croutons. So get some rustic bread, tear it up, place it in a roasting tray and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Then pop it into the oven set to 200° for 10 minutes or till golden and crispy.