Chicken & Barley Broth

Chicken & Barley Soup

You've carved and eaten your roast chicken, now make the soup. Honestly, this will be better than anything you will buy in a carton or can, and really takes little effort to make. Oh, and the smell of it cooking in the kitchen is one of the true wonders of the world. As I write this it's bloody freezing outside. Seriously, think of a hot, steaming bowl of homemade chicken soup, maybe a hunk of homemade bread – guaranteed to cure/prevent any cold. Guaranteed. (I'd just like to point out before I get sued, that I have zero medical qualifications). Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass
1 large onion, peeled and halved
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks
1 stick celery, peeled and cut into chunks
1 bay leaf
100g pearl barley or soup mix, soaked in water overnight
salt and pepper
water to cover

Method:
1. Place all the ingredients except soup mix in a large pan. Season and cover with water and bring to the boil, spooning off any scum.
2. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 2-3 hours (the longer the better).
3. Strain the liquid into a separate pan, mashing the carcass and veg to extract all flavour. Add any pieces of chicken left on the carcass (this should fall off with ease).
4. Return liquid to the heat and add the barley. Bring to the boil and simmer for 40 minutes until barley is cooked. Check seasoning and serve.