INGREDIENTS

• Glug olive oil
• 1 punnet (250g) button mushrooms
• Salt and milled pepper
• 1 small onion, sliced
• ½ packet (150g) leeks, washed and sliced
• 3 sticks celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) chopped thyme
• 2-4 chicken breasts on the bone
• 6 cups (1.5L) good-quality chicken stock
• 1 tub (250ml) cream
• 1 Tbsp (15ml) cornflour, mixed with a little water
• 1 roll (400g) puff pastry
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a soup pot and brown mushrooms. Season, remove and set aside.
2. Add more oil and sauté vegetables until soft.
3. Return mushrooms to pot and add thyme, chicken and stock. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until meat is tender.
4. Remove chicken and shred into bite-sized pieces, discarding skin and bones. Return to soup.
5. Add cream and cornflour and simmer until soup thickens.
6. Preheat oven to 180°C.
7. Ladle soup into ovenproof serving bowls.
8. Roll pastry slightly thinner and cut ‘lids’ to fit bowls.
9. Brush pastry with egg and lay over bowls.
10. Pierce a small steam hole in the middle of each pastry lid.
11. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Serve.

recipe source: https://www.pnp.co.za/