Greek Tangy Chicken Soup

Prep time:-15
Cook time:-30

Ingredients

Serves: 4

• 3 small skinless boneless chicken breasts (fillets), about 340 g in total
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 6 black peppercorns
• strip of lemon zest
• 1 small bunch of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley
• 150 g long-grain white rice
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 eggs, beaten
• salt and pepper
• sprigs of fresh dill or flat-leaf parsley to garnish

Preparation method

1.

Put the chicken breasts, onion, celery, carrot, black peppercorns, lemon zest and bunch of dill or parsley into a large saucepan. Add 1.4 litres (2½ pints) water. Bring to the boil over a moderate heat, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface. Reduce the heat and half-cover the pan with a lid, so the water just bubbles gently. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

2.

Remove the chicken from the pan with a draining spoon and set aside. Strain the stock through a sieve into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables and flavourings.

3.

Reheat the stock until boiling, then stir in the rice. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Meanwhile, cut or tear the chicken into thin shreds, and mix the lemon juice with the beaten eggs.

4.

Add the shredded chicken to the soup. Heat over a moderate heat until the soup almost starts to boil again. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the lemon juice mixture, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, garnished with sprigs of dill or parsley