Cannellini, Carrot & Chicken Soup

Making my son eat vegetables and legume is a tough matter. So I try to prepare dishes as per his liking utilizing vegetables and lentils which are not visible in the final dish. Here is a healthy Continental soup with cannellini beans, carrots and chicken.

Ingredients:

• 200 gms cannellini beans / white Italian kidney beans
• 1 large chicken leg portion
• 150 gms onions (peeled & finely chopped)
• 125 gms carrots (peeled & finely sliced)
• 1 stick celery (trimmed & sliced)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ltr water
• salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• chopped coriander leaves (optional) for garnish

Procedure:

1. Soak the beans overnight. Take a pressure cooker, put the beans, add water as required and bring to a boil.
2. Cover and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles, simmer and cook the beans for about 40-45 mins. Drain.
3. Now put the onion, carrots & celery slices with the beans, chicken portion, a pinch of salt and bay leaf in the pressure cooker.
4. Add 1 ltr water, cover and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and simmer to cook for 20 mins.
5. Remove the chicken portion from the pressure cooker, remove the bone and make small chicken slices. Discard the bay leaf.
6. Put all the boiled vegetables except the chicken pieces in a blender, add a little stock and blend to form a puree.
7. Take a deep bottomed saucepan, add the puree & rest of the stock and adjust the salt. Add the chicken pieces in the pan and mix well.
8. Serve hot in serving bowls with 2 small knobs of butter, chopped coriander leaves and buttered garlic bread toast.