White soup

White soup

This chicken soup recipe – as featured in Pride and Prejudice – is rich in flavour but beautiful in its understatement.

White soup

  • Serves icon Serves 8-10
  • Time icon Hands-on time 45 min, simmering time 2½ hours, plus chilling and soaking

This chicken soup recipe – as featured in Pride and Prejudice – is rich in flavour but beautiful in its understatement.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
643kcals
Fat
48.5g (23.8g saturated)
Protein
32.1g
Carbohydrates
20g carbs (1.6g sugars)
Fibre
0.2g
Salt
1.8g

Ingredients

  • 900g veal or beef bones (from butcher’s shops), chopped
  • 1 small free-range chicken
  • 400g piece British free-range unsmoked bacon, cut into chunks
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • Bouquet garni (or a bundle of fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley, bay leaf, marjoram)
  • Pared zest ½ lemon
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 3 mace blades

To thicken:

  • 125g blanched almonds
  • 600ml double cream
  • 1 thick stale bread slice, whizzed into breadcrumbs
  • Lemon zest strip
  • 1 mace blade, crushed to a powder
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Method

  1. Put the bones, whole chicken and bacon chunks into a large pan, then add the peppercorns, herbs, lemon zest, onion, celery and mace. Cover with water, then bring to a boil, skimming off any scum. reduce the heat, then simmer very gently for 2½ hours.
  2. Remove the chicken and set aside, then strain the stock through a fine sieve (discard flavourings) and cool (overnight if possible).
  3. When cool, skim off the fat, then return about 700ml stock to a clean pan and heat gently.
  4. Pound the almonds in a pestle and mortar with 2 tbsp cold water to make a coarse paste (or pulse in a small food processor). Put the cream in a pan and add the almonds, bread, lemon zest and powdered mace. Bring to the boil, simmer for 1-2 minutes, then add to the pan of stock. Simmer for 2 minutes, then strain again, pressing with the back of a spoon. Shred the meat from the reserved chicken, then add to the soup to warm through. Serve simply, with a little bread if you like.

Nutrition

Calories
643kcals
Fat
48.5g (23.8g saturated)
Protein
32.1g
Carbohydrates
20g carbs (1.6g sugars)
Fibre
0.2g
Salt
1.8g

delicious. tips

  1. You’ll have twice as much stock as you need – and it’s really good stuff, so strain the leftovers and freeze in sealed containers for up to 3 months. Heat from frozen for soups, stews and more white soup.

  2. Make the soup, then keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly to serve.Or freeze the finished soup for up to 3 months. Defrost thoroughly and reheat to serve.

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