Made from leftover chicken and a selection of seasonal veg, Damian’s ‘Monday night roast chicken soup’ is the perfect way to start the week right and savour those Sunday flavours. Healthy, wholesome, and oh so hearty, it’s guaranteed to make cold winter nights all the more cosy.

Monday night roast chicken and vegetable soup

Serves 4

Stock

• 1 leftover chicken carcass from Sunday lunch
• 2 carrots chopped
• 2 onions diced skin left on
• 2 sticks celery
• 3 cloves garlic

1. Break the chicken carcass into smaller pieces, mix with the vegetables and lightly dress with rapeseed oil. Roast at 200c for 30 minutes.
2. Once the chicken and vegetables are golden brown, put all the ingredients into a pan and cover with 1lt water. Deglaze the roasting tray and add this liquid to the pot.
3. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour, skimming any fat and impurities from the surface. After 1 hour strain and set aside.
4. Whilst the stock is simmering, prepare the vegetables.

Vegetables

Dice the vegetables into 1cm dice, this ensures the soup cooks very quickly so it has a bright fresh flavour and retains all its nutrients

• 200g swede
• 200g carrot
• 100g parsnip
• 150g onion
• 100g potatoes
• 50g red lentils washed
• 200g cooked roast chicken from Sunday lunch diced or shredded

1. In a large pan, sweat the onion for around 3 minutes, add the rest of the ingredients and pour over the stock which you have bought back to the boil. Season with salt, freshly ground white pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 8 minutes.
3. Take 1/4 of the soup and carefully blend with a hand blender. This gives the soup a lovely silky texture.
4. Pour back into the soup and check the seasoning.
5. Add the chicken and warm through and serve.

Enjoy!