Ingredients

Step by step

1. Remove the bindings from the chicken, then place in a large saucepan or casserole with 1 carrot and 1 onion, both halved, all the celery, the peppercorns, bay leaves, half the parsley (saving the other half for adding at the end), the rosemary sprigs and garlic. Add the salt and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through, skimming off any fat and scum. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until possible to handle. Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool further.
2. While the chicken is simmering away, chop the remaining carrots and onion into small cubes, keeping them separate. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the leeks and the chopped onion and cook gently for about 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.
3. Strain the chicken cooking liquid (discarding the flavourings) and skim off any fat that rises to the top. Measure out 2.5 litres and add this to the leeks and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the meat from the chicken and chop into pieces. Add this and the green beans to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Crush the egg noodles into pieces and add to the pan and simmer for a further 5-7 minutes until softened. Finally, stir in the lemon juice and zest and taste for seasoning, adding a little more salt or pepper if needed.
6. Finely chop the remaining flat-leaf parsley. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the parsley over the top.