Nourishing chicken soup

1. Heat oil in a large, deep pot over a medium-high heat. Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over. Remove and set aside. Reduce heat to medium.  
2. Add onion, carrots, celery, turnip, garlic and thyme to pot. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  
3. Return chicken to pot with bay leaf, 2 litres (8 cups) water and stock cube. Bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover with lid. Simmer for 1 hour.  Stir in pasta. Simmer, covered, for a further 15 minutes.  
4. Remove from heat. Lift chicken pieces from pot using a slotted spoon. Shred chicken meat and discard bones. Return chicken to pot with parsley. Stir over low heat until hot. 

Tips 

• To cook soup in a slow cooker, complete steps 1 and 2 as above, then transfer chicken and vegetables to a slow cooker. Add bay leaf, water and stock cube as directed in step 3. Cook on Low for 7 hours (or High for 4 hours), adding pasta in the last 30 minutes of cooking time. Follow step 4 as above and keep soup warm in slow cooker on low setting until ready to serve.  
• Freeze individual soup portions in containers. Thaw overnight in fridge and reheat on stovetop or in microwave until hot. Great for a warming office lunch or a light dinner on chilly nights.