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Chicken and leek minestrone soup with walnut and parsley pesto toasts

Chicken and leek minestrone soup
1 small chicken, about 1kg
2 onions, peeled and quartered
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bay leaf
1 large leek, split, washed and chopped
25g butter
75g macaroni pasta
1 tin borlotti beans
Large handful parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the chicken in a pot and add the onions, celery, garlic and bay. Season with salt and pepper and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer, place a lid on and cook until fork tender on the stove – about an hour and a quarter. Alternatively place in a casserole and cook in a 180oc oven for a couple of hours.
Remove chicken and set aside. Remove bay leaf and blend the liquor.
Cook the leeks in a pot with the butter, season to taste and cook until soft – about 5 minutes. Add the blended cooking liquor, bring to a simmer and add the pasta. Cook for about 10 minutes or until pasta is done. Meanwhile rip the chicken from the carcass. Add the shredded meat to the pot with the beans and parsley. Check seasoning.

Walnut and parsley pesto

40g parsley coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
35g walnut halves
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
50ml olive oil or good local rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for a minute and coarsely chop.
Blend with the remaining ingredients to a thick paste and check seasoning.

1 ciabatta loaf
35g parmesan

Slice the bread and cook on a hot grill pan until toasted on both sides. Spread over the pesto and top with finely grated parmesan.
Serve with the soup.

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