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Country vegetable soup with open porridge bread chicken sandwich: OT 2023

Updated / Wednesday, 4 Jan 2023 21:30
Each serving contains approximately 385 kcal.
Each serving contains approximately 385 kcal.

Each serving contains approximately 385 kcal.

Ingredients

Serves 2

  • 1 small onion or leek
  • 225g mixed Irish vegetables (such as celery, carrots, potatoes)
  • A small knob of butter
  • 5g fresh chives (optional)
  • 450ml vegetable stock (made up from a reduced sodium stock cube)

For the sandwich

  • 2 slices of porridge bread (see separate recipe)
  • 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
  • 1 small tomato, sliced
  • 80g cooked chicken slices
  • pinch of snipped fresh chives (optional)
  • handful soft salad leaves
  • salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper

Porridge Bread

Makes 675g loaf or 15 slices (approximately 180 kcal per slice)

  • 500ml carton natural yoghurt (3% fat)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons rapeseed oil, little extra (¼ teaspoon) to grease
  • 2 x 500ml cartons porridge oats (375g)
  • 2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon butter per slice (for spreading) (optional)

Method

  1. Peel the onion and cut in half, then finely chop or trim the leek and finely chop. Peel the vegetables, then trim and cut into dice. Snip the chives and set aside for garnish, if using.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pan set over a medium heat. Add the onion or leek and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until softened but not coloured. Add the Irish vegetables and stir to combine, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Season lightly with salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are completely soft.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the sandwiches. Place the porridge bread on plates and spread over the mayonnaise. Arrange the slices of tomato on top followed by the chicken. Season lightly with salt (optional) and freshly ground black pepper and scatter over the chives, if liked. Add the salad leaves alongside to serve.
  4. Blitz the soup mixture with a hand-blender or in a food processor (in batches if necessary) until smooth or of course you could also leave chunky.
  5. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and scatter over the chives to garnish, if using. Add a good grinding of black pepper to each one and serve each portion with the open porridge bread sandwich to serve.

Note: This soup will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or can be frozen into individual portions in freezer bags and thawed out as needed.

Porridge Bread

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6. Put the yoghurt in a bowl, scraping it all out. Then rinse out the yoghurt carton and you will have no need to use scales for this clever bread recipe.
  2. Make a well in the centre of the yoghurt and add the egg and oil. Stir until mixed. Then use the carton to measure out two cartons of the oats and mix them in with the bicarbonate of soda and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Lightly oil a 675g loaf tin and tip in the oat mixture. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown.
  4. Remove the bread from the oven and go around the sides with a table knife to loosen out the bread and tip out on to the work surface.
  5. Return the loaf to the oven and put straight on the oven shelf without any tin or baking sheet for another 5 minutes to dry the crust out. Leave the cooked loaf to cool down completely on a wire rack and then cut into 14 even-sized slices.
  6. Spread each slice of porridge bread with a little butter, if liked to serve.

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