Chicken, leek and mushroom soup with rice

Simple, nourishing and thoughtful, this homemade soup from Miranda Gore Browne is lovely as a starter or for a tasty lunch after cold, country walk

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 leeks, finely sliced and 
  washed well
• 1 clove of garlic
• 4 chicken thighs, boneless
• 200g large portobello mushrooms
• 200g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 tbsp butter
• 80g easy cook rice
• Rapeseed oil if needed
• Salt and pepper
• 1.2 litre of stock (2 chicken stock cubes and boiling water)
• 50ml of cream
• Fresh thyme – a few sprigs
• Parmesan, finely grated

Method

Serves 6 people

1. Put 2 tbsp butter and oil into a deep saucepan.
2. Add the washed and chopped leeks, and add a few tablespoons of water and fry until they start to soften.
3. Add a clove of garlic and then the whole boneless chicken thighs and fry with the leeks for about 10-15 minutes until starting to colour.
4. Slice both lots of mushrooms and add to the pan with 1 tbsp butter and keep cooking – you may need to add a little water or some oil at this point to stop it sticking.
5. Once the chicken, leeks and mushrooms are all well-cooked, rinse the rice with boiling water and add it to the pan.
6. Cover with the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 50 minutes.
7. Lift off the heat, use a fork or a slotted spoon to lift the chicken onto a plate and shred this using a couple of forks.
8. Add a little boiling water if the soup is a bit thick at this stage.
9. Put the shredded chicken back into the pan. Add the cream, some freshly grated parmesan or strong cheese and a sprinkle of fresh thyme and swirl in, taste and season again if needed.