Moroccan Style Chicken Soup

Moroccan Soup

A real soul-warming soup when the weather is cold and gray.

Ingredients

• 12 good size chicken legs (or whatever other bits of chicken are going cheap such as thighs, maryland, etc)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• splash of olive oil
• 4 x large cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 x large leek (or 2 small ones), washed, halved lengthways and sliced finely
• 2 x medium onions, chopped finely
• 1 x stick celery, chopped finely
• 3 x good sized fresh, firm roma tomatoes, chopped finely
• 2 x carrots, chopped finely
• 1 x 800ml can diced tomatoes
• 1 x 540ml can chick peas, drained
• 1 heaped teaspoon ground cumin
• dried chilli flakes to taste (I used 1 smallish teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 x large potato, diced small – optional
• 2 x tablespoons tomato paste – optional

In a really large pot (le Creuset French oven is excellent) add the splash of olive oil and set the heat to medium.

Add the leeks, onion and celery and cook very gently until soft.  Add the garlic. Stir well.

Add the carrots and cook for another few minutes, stirring regularly.

Score the meat on the chicken legs all over with a sharp knife, so the chicken meat can cook off the bone very easily.  No need to be elegant. Add the chicken legs to the put and stir them into the onion and leek mixture.

Sprinkle over the cumin and chilli flakes.  Add the fresh tomatoes.  Stir well.

Add the chicken stock, then the can of diced tomatoes, juice and all; and the chickpeas.

Add the basil and stir it all together.

If not already bubbling, bring to a gentle boil and then reduced the heat and cover.  Cook over a low heat for about 2 hours.  The chicken meat should more or less fall off the bone.  Using tongs, remove the bones or pick off any additional meat back into the pot.

Serve with fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy.

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