This is straight out comfort food. So hearty and so delicious.

Prep time : 1 hour + cooling
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Serves 6


Ingredients

1.5kg chicken
2 carrots roughly chopped
2 celery sticks roughly chopped
1 onion quartered
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 Bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
4 black peppercorns
50g butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 potatoes, chopped
250g butternut pumpkin cut into bite size pieces
2 carrots extra, cut into sticks
1 leak cut into thin sticks
3 celery sticks, extra cut into thin sticks
100g Stringless Green beans chopped
209g broccoli cut into small florets
109g snap peas,trimmed
50g spinach, shredded
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup fresh parsley.

Method

1. Place the chicken into a large saucepan with the first lot of carrots, celery,parsley, bay leaves,onion,salt and peppercorn. Add 3 litres of water and bring to the boil,then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Skimming surface as required. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken and leave until cool enough to handle. Strain and reserve liquid, discard vegetables and herbs.

2. Remove chicken skin and shred the chicken neat.

3. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat,when foaming add flour, cook stirring for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and gradually stir in reserved liquid. Return to heat and bring to the boil. Stirring constantly.
Add the potatoes, pumpkin and extra carrots and simmer 7 minutes. Add leek, extra celery and beans, and simmer for 5 minutes. Finally add broccoli and snap peas and cook 3 minutes.

4. Just before serving, add chicken meat,spinach,cream and extra parsley. Reheat gently and keep stirring until spinach has wilted.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve immediately.

Notes

You can use your favourite vegetable eg zucchini and even corn. What I've added is my favourite vegetables that just works perfect together

You can halve the recipe