Spring Chicken and Vegetable Soup

By Cindy

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 to 8 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
• A pinch of saffron threads, optional
• 1 bunch spring onions or 2 to 3 leeks, sliced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Juice of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon zest
• 1 bundle thin asparagus, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 cup fresh shelled peas
• 1/2 poached or rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, chicken diced or shredded (use remaining chicken another night for dinner!)
• Thin egg noodles or fideo, a couple of handfuls
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Heat another soup pot with the stock and saffron threads to steep.

To the first soup pot add onions, carrots and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook to tender then add lemon zest and stir. Add the steeped saffron stock and bring to a simmer. Add asparagus, peas, chicken and noodles*; and cook about 5 minutes then remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, herbs and serve.

*If making soup in advance, omit noodles and cook separately the night you want reheat soup!