Chicken Cassoulet Soup – 2 ways

You may have spotted that I like soup…..especially, thick “meal-soup” types.  Here is my latest recipe.  This one is for Chicken Cassoulet Soup.  Made 2 ways, a “normal way” and a “healthy” way.  You can make either but if, like me, you are TRYING to squeeze into your Christmas party frock, the “healthy” way will give you a healthy and FILLING lunch to see you through to the party!

Some of the ingredients are already healthy but I’ve put a “healthy-swap” next to anything that you could do differently.

Time: This will take about 90 minutes from start to eat

Serves: Makes about 9 fairly large (meal-sized) portions

Ingredients

  • 1tsp oil
  • 2 Gammon steaks (chopped into small cubes)
  • 6 Pork Chipolatas (oven baked and thinly sliced) [Healthy swap for 6 Chicken Sausages]
  • 6 Chicken thighs (poached and shredded) [Healthy swap for 2-3 Chicken Breasts]
  • 1 onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 sticks of Celery (finely chopped)
  • 2 large Carrots (finely chopped)
  • 1x small Chilli deseeded (finely chopped)
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1tbsp French herbs
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 1200g chopped tomatoes (3 cans)
  • 1tbsp tomato puree
  • 1l Chicken stock
  • 400g cannellini beans (from a can)
  • 400g butter beans (from a can)
  • 2tsp parmesan [4pts]
  • 1tbsp fresh thyme (chopped)
  • 1tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
  • Splash each of balsamic vinegar and Worcester sauce

How to make it?

1 – Oven bake the sausages and poach the chicken thighs/breasts

2 – Meanwhile, chop the chilli, onion, celery and carrot and fry lightly in a large soup-pan with 1tsp of oil

chopped-veg

3 – Whilst the veg is softening, dice the gammon into small cubes. Add the gammon to the soup pan to cook

add-to-pan

4 – Add the dried herbs and spices to the pan and stir through. Simmer gently.

5 – Once cooked, slice the sausages into small slices about ½ cm thick

6 – Once cooked, use two forks to shred the chicken

chicken

7 – Add the sausage and chicken to the soup pan,

8 – Next, add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and chicken stock.

add-stock

9 – Stir and simmer for 30minutes on a low heat, with the pan covered if possible.

10 – Add the beans, grated parmesan and the fresh herbs (if using) and simmer for a further 20- 30 minutes, with the pan un-covered

11 – Check how thick the soup is at this point, if you want / need, add further water to get to the consistency you like.

12 – Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and Worcester sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

13 – Serve

Then huddle under a cosy blanket and eat it all up!!

finished

Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

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