Winter warming soup

With winter well and truly upon us, I'm sharing my own personal recipe that my boys call 'Mum's Magic Cure Anything Soup'. This has been nourishing my family for years and it really does help to keep those lurgies at bay!

 For those of us that would prefer a vegetarian alternative just leave out the chicken. My boys all love their meat so they prefer the chicken version when they are unwell. Even if they are off their food, this soup seems to help them find an appetite and they all request it as they know it makes them feel better.

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Ingredients

2 cups of barley
1 bunch of parsley
6 celery sticks
4 large or 6 small carrots
1 sweet potato
1 large or 2 small parsnips
2 fresh ripe tomatoes
1 head of broccoli (with stalks chopped finely )  
4 x free range chicken thigh chops (bones in)
8-10 curry leaves
fresh ginger
1 and 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds or powder
2 heaped tsp turmeric 
1-2 tsp mustard seeds 
1 tsp sea salt 
1 tsp black pepper corns 
1 tsp coconut oil 
1L vegetable stock

                                                          

Method

1. Soak barley overnight after washing well.

2. Bring barley to boil in 4 cups of water. Simmer barley for 1 hour or until it becomes fluffy.

3. Whist barley is simmering, chop all veggies into small pieces.  Place coconut oil on medium heat- add ginger, salt, pepper corns, tumeric, brown mustard seeds and fry until aromatic.

2 Add chopped tomato and curry leaves, followed by the stock

3. Add chopped veggies, bring stock to the boil and then simmer for 15- 20 minutes.

4. Add fluffy barley, chopped parsley and simmer for 10 mins.

I'd love to hear your feedback on this recipe!