This is the such a bowl of incredible, deep flavour… the magical combination of beautiful mushrooms with leek and chicken. It’s full of protein and fibre, and yet feels so indulgent. You can use any mushrooms you choose – here I have used a combination of white and king oysters from Basil’s Fungi Farm. Vegetarians, please feel free to omit the chicken – it is still a beautiful soup.

1. Heat some olive oil in a large-ish saucepan. Add the onion, season with a little salt and cook slowly for a few minutes. When softened, add the leek, carrot and garlic. Cook very slowly for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the wine and allow to bubble for a minute. 

2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, warm some olive oil, pan fry the mushrooms with some thyme and salt, then set aside. Then wipe the pan, and quickly brown the chicken pieces in olive oil.

3. Put the chicken in the pan, add the stock, thyme and season. Bring to a gently simmer. Cook for 5 mins, then add the orzo. Add more water if needed. Cook for a further 10 mins. Finally stir in all but a few of the mushrooms, leaving some for garnish

4. Taste, season as necessary. Add a splash of cream if using.

5. To serve, garnish with the reserved mushrooms, extra fresh thyme and black pepper.

Charlotte Butterworth aka @theneedy.greedy is a private caterer, cookery teacher and recipe creator. Having trained as a cordon bleu cook, she has now developed her own signature style of using lots of vegetables, big flavours and love of Mediterranean style cooking.  She runs cookery workshops and teaches individuals in her kitchen, helping people rediscover their culinary mojo with new ideas for delicious, healthy and easy meals for everyday and entertaining. Charlotte creates fabulous food for everything from intimate dinners and family celebrations to drinks parties and corporate events. Find her on Instagram and Facebook sharing her delicious recipes as @theneedy.greedy or contact her by email at charlotte@butterworth.co.uk for more information about catering or teaching.