Summer chicken and leek stew

This combination of chicken and leek surprises the first time you make it. The ingredients look like they don’t add up to much, but the flavour of the final is deliciously delicate, and it doesn’t take too long to make. I always think of it as an ideal summer meal: for those evenings when you want a substantial cooked meal that leaves you light on your feet afterwards.

A light, tasty meal for summer: chicken and leek stew

• Servings: 2-4
• Time: 90 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Ingredients

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 leek
• 2 sticks of celery, diced
• 1 or 2 carrots, diced
• chicken stock and water (see note)
• 4-6 chopped tomatoes (or a small 400g tin)
• chilli, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Saute the chicken breasts, then chop them into 1-2 cm cubes and transfer to large pot.
• Add all the other ingredients and simmer for about 30-60 minutes. Add extra water if you need to.
• Just before serving, stir in some chopped parsley for a bit of crunchiness.

Notes

We make our own chicken stock by just boiling chicken bones for many hours. It forms a thick concentrate, and you don’t need to use much of it in soups for the desired taste. If you use bought chicken stock, you won’t need to add much water, if any at all.

Source: Adapted from Sandra Cabot’s Liver Cleansing Diet, 1996.

Summer chicken and leek stew