This simple soup is influenced by our years of global travelling.
It has a hint of flavour from the Andes and some Turkish zest! Serves 4 as a light meal.
Ingredients:
• 2 or 3 skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
• 1 peeled and diced carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 1½ litre of chicken stock
• 1 cup cooked quinoa (or you can use noodles or brown rice)
• 1 lemon cut in half and juiced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Soya sauce
• Small handful of fresh parsley.
Make your chicken stock with boiling water and keep to one side. Cook a cup of rice, quinoa or noodles as per the instructions on their packaging. Drain and keep aside. Add the chosen oil to the pot, and once this is warm add the diced onion, crushed garlic, diced carrot, and diced celery. Simmer, stirring occasionally. Allow the vegetables to soften without changing colour too much.
Add the hot stock, salt, pepper and soya sauce. Cut the chicken breasts in half and add them like to the pot so as to poach the chicken in the stock. Keep the soup on a slow simmer – not a fast boil. Squeeze in the fresh lemon juice – I also throw the lemons into the pot for added lemon flavour.
After about eight to ten minutes, take out the breasts and cut through the middle, if white through, shred the chicken into small pieces and keep to one side. If the chicken is still a little pink don’t worry as it will be going back into the soup pot where it will cook more. Just be sure not to overcook the meat at this stage as this can make the chicken breasts rubbery. Add your choice of cooked rice, noodles or quinoa to the pot to absorb the flavours. Then add the shredded chicken and fresh chopped parsley. Cook for a few more minutes on a gentle heat. If you put lemons in the pot then take them out now.Pour the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with a bay leaf. Serve warm with a bowl of lemon wedges, your favourite chilli, and a loaf of crusty bread.
Recipe by Danielle du Toit.