Creamy Pulled Chicken Thigh Soup With Garlic Bread

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a full kettle

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Add the chicken thighs to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Put the tray in the oven for 17-18 min or until cooked through (no pink meat!)

Meanwhile, peel and finely slice the brown onion[s]

Top, tail and dice the carrot[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan or pot (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the sliced onion and diced carrot with a pinch of salt and cook for 6-8 min or until beginning to soften

Remove 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] butter from the fridge to warm up for later

Whilst the onion is softening, finely dice the potatoes (skins on)

Slice the baby button mushrooms finely

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Dissolve the vegetable stock mix in 600ml [1.2L] boiled water

Once the onion and carrot are beginning to soften, add the diced potato, sliced mushrooms and half the chopped garlic (save the rest for later!) to the pan

Cook for 1 min, then add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10-15 min or until the potatoes are just fork tender

Meanwhile, strip the thyme leaves from their stems and add them to the pan, discard the stems

Tip: Hold the top of the thyme sprigs firmly and slide your fingers down their lengths to easily remove the leaves

Whilst the soup is cooking, slice the ciabattas in half

Chop the parsley finely, including the stalks

Combine the chopped parsley and remaining chopped garlic with the warmed butter, then spread it over the ciabatta halves and add to a baking tray

Once the soup is almost done, put the tray in the oven for 5-7 min or until crusty – this is your garlic bread

Remove the cooked chicken from the oven and transfer it to a clean board, then shred it apart using two forks – this technique is known as 'pulling'

Stir the pulled chicken into the soup with the soft cheese and a generous grind of black pepper

Lightly mash the soup to break up a few potatoes, then give everything a good mix up – this is your creamy pulled chicken soup

Tip: If your soup is too thick, add a small splash of water!