I have to confess I've had quite a morning.  It started off full of promise, today was the start of spring cleaning! The weather is changing and I felt the need to cleanse the house, fling open the windows, let the fresh air in and sweep away the cobwebs.  That was my first mistake.  My second was starting in my teenage daughter's room.  As this is a primarily a food blog, I won't go into the grizzly details of what I found, I don't want to ruin your appetite. I ploughed my way through the wreckage until I was completely out of pep.

I knew what was called for, a restorative chicken soup.  Something that calms the nervous system after such a fright.  This is just the ticket. If you're considering any spring cleaning, I advise caution.

There is no need to stick absolutely to this recipe, I tend to use whatever vegetables need using up in the fridge. Today I had celery but very often I use leeks, sometimes a handful of watercress leaves are a nice addition at the end of cooking, or baby spinach leaves, whatever you have. 

Sometimes I add egg noodles to this soup, my children especially love this.  However, as I was trying hard not to think about my children today, I added a cup of cooked barley and it was wonderful.  Rice is always a good option too.

Here's what you will need to revive a weary body!

1 lb of cooked chicken

4-6 small new potatoes, diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Gulg of olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

32 oz of organic chicken broth

4 carrots, diced

2 sticks of celery, diced

chopped fresh herbs (whatever you happen to have, parsley, sage, thyme, oregano are all wonderful)

A couple of  handfuls of frozen peas

A handful of green beans, chopped

Salt and pepper

Extra fresh chopped herbs sprinkled before serving.

Pour the olive oil in a good sized sauce pan, add the finely chopped onions and saute until soft, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for 2 more minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and chop the carrots, wash and dice the potatoes and add them to the pot. 

Pour in the chicken stock, seasoning and chopped herbs, bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer, partially covered.

Cook until the the potatoes are very nearly done.  Add the green beans and continue to cook all bright green and the potatoes are ready.

Take off the heat and add the frozen green beans.  Shred or chop the cooked chicken up into cubes and add to the soup.  Add another handful of herbs and some cooked noodles, rice or barley if using. 

Stir well to combine and serve.

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