Donal Skehan's chicken soup for the soul

As the Beast from the East blows and blusters around Britain, we’re all in need of a bit of comfort food!

Donal Skehan is here to whisk away those wintery chills as he shows us how to make his ultimate chicken soup for the soul.

Donal says: For a soup like this which relies heavily on the taste of the broth, it is well worth seeking out the best quality stock you can get your hands on, homemade is best but I often rely on Kalo Organic chicken stock cubes if I don’t have the time.

Serves:

Ingredients

500g chicken thighs, boneless and skinless80g wholewheat flourA small handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly choppedA small handful of chives, finely chopped1 tbsp rapeseed oil1 large onion, finely chopped2 celery stalks, chopped3 large carrots, chopped1.5 litres best quality chicken stockSea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Place the chicken thighs in a food processor and blitz until completely smooth. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and stir through the flour, chives and half the parsley. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Form into 20 small bitesize balls and place on a plate. Cover and leave to firm up in the fridge for 15 minutes or while you prepare the soup.

• Place a large pot over a medium high heat and add a drop of oil. Fry the onion, celery and carrot until the onions are just tender and then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

• Gently add the chicken dumplings one at a time to the hot liquid and continue to simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked all the way through

• Before serving stir, check the seasoning and stir through the parsley

• Serve in deep bowls