CHICKEN SOUP

I have not spent winter in Australia for 10 years. At this time of the year we usually go to Switzerland, where I grew up, to travel and catch up with family and friends. I do miss them all very much. I especially miss the wonderful hikes we make in the Alps, all those beautiful Alpine flowers, the lakes and the majestic mountains.

But I must admit it is exciting to be here in Winter as well. We have had some enormous storms both here in Bondi and down the South Coast at Tilba.
The waves have been gigantic, the winds extraordinary and the rains have filled up all the lakes and dams that were emptied in the drought.
In cold weather like this, I love to have a chicken soup simmering on top of my stove. You can serve yourself a cup during the day, mix the soup with freshly cut herbs, add more vegetables or make a ‘stracciatella’ by mixing an egg into your bowl. For something more substantial, you can add a handful of cooked rice or some pulses. It is such a versatile way of eating a super healthy soup.
You can keep the soup for at least 5 days, just make sure you boil it every day if you don’t refrigerate it. You can top it up with a little extra water before boiling.

• use a large stock pot

• 1 organic chicken or 4-6 chicken wings and 4 thighs
• 1 large Spanish onion peeled and thickly sliced
• 4-6 carrots cut into bitesize pieces
• half a celery , cut into bitesize pieces
• 4-6 small turnips cut into bite size pieces
• a 10 cm piece of fresh ginger roughly chopped
• a 10 cm piece of fresh turmeric thickly slices
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 fresh bay leaves