Chicken, bean and orzo soup with walnut pesto

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and brown the chicken all over, starting skin-side down. When it’s golden, remove to a plate.
2. Lower the heat slightly and fry the onion with the thyme sprigs, bay leaf and a good pinch of salt, stirring from time to time, until the onion is soft and translucent (about 15-20 minutes). Add the celery, carrots and garlic and fry gently for a couple of minutes, then add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices and poach for 15 minutes until tender. Remove and shred with a fork or cut into pieces with a knife, then return it to the pan. You can discard the skin at this point if you prefer – it has done its job, helping to flavour the soup.
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4. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper as necessary. Add the white beans and the orzo to the pan and simmer gently until the orzo is cooked (7-10 minutes depending on the brand).
5. While the soup is simmering, make the pesto. In a blender, pulse together the spinach, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice and salt until just coarse. Trickle in the olive oil, pulsing as you go. Finally, add the walnuts and pulse briefly – you still want it to have some texture to it.
6. When the orzo is cooked, stir the parsley, lemon zest and juice into the soup. Serve in warmed bowls, with some of the pesto spooned over the top.