When your fridge is full of Christmas leftovers there is only one way to ensure nothing goes to waste: A Christmas Soup. This soup only takes 45 minutes to make (start to finish) due to using cooked leftover meat from the holidays. This makes it great for a boxing day lunch that can feed the whole house!
Ingredients:
– 2 Cups leftover cooked meat (Turkey, Ham, Cornish Hen, Chicken, etc.) and any bones
– 2 Strips of bacon
– 3-4 Cups good quality chicken stock
– 2 Medium white onions (Chopped into cubes)
– 2 Carrots (Chopped into cubes)
– 2 Celery Stalks (Chopped into cubes)
– 5 Medium Red Potatoes (Chopped into cubes)
– 4 Garlic Cloves
– 1/4 Cup Mixed Fresh Herbs (Thyme, Rosemary, Basil, etc.)
– 2 Tbsp Mixed Dried Herbs (Oregano, Thyme, etc.)
– 1 Tsp lemon juice (per bowl)
Steps:
Step 1) Shred your cooked leftover meat into small pieces and place in a bowl.
Step 2) Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a pot. Slice bacon into bite sized pieces and add to the pan
Step 3) Season bacon with salt and pepper and cook until crispy. Remove from pan.
Step 4) Add all the vegetables and the dried herbs, and cook for 4-5 minutes (just to brown them)
Step 5) Add the cooked meat and bones to the soup pot. Stir and let cook for 3-5 minutes.
Step 6) Add the chicken stock
Step 7) Grate the garlic into the pot with the stock, meat and vegetables
Step 8 ) Let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Step 9) Taste test your soup – add salt and pepper if required. Remove the bones and discard.
Step 10) Add the fresh herbs and the bacon pieces, and let it simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
Step 11) Spoon into bowls and finish with a little more fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon juice
