Romanian chicken, cabbage and zucchini ciorbă

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast (250 g)
• 1500 ml water
• 1 tablespoon Vegeta seasoning
• 15 ml olive oil
• 1 medium onion (150 g)
• 2 carrots (120 g)
• 100 g celery (optional)
• 100 g parsnip (optional)
• 1 small cabbage (700 g)
• 2 zucchini (400 g)
• 240 ml tomato passata
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried lovage
• 15 g fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Put the whole chicken breast in 1500 ml water with 1 tablespoon Vegeta seasoning. Skim off the foam as it rises and simmer for 20 minutes, until the thickest part is no longer pink in the center. 2. Cut the cabbage into strips and put it in a colander. Cut the carrots lengthwise into quarters, chop the onion and, if using, peel and finely chop the celery and parsnip. Sauté everything in 15 ml olive oil for 8 minutes, until the onion softens. 3. Add the sautéed vegetables and cabbage to the pot with the chicken. Simmer for 15 minutes, until the cabbage starts to soften. 4. Peel and seed the zucchini, then cut it into thicker slices. Add it to the pot and cook for another 8 minutes, until softened but still holding its shape. 5. Take out the breast, cut it into pieces and return it to the pot. Add the tomato passata, white pepper and dried lovage; simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and add the chopped parsley.