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Iranian-style green lentil, chicken and herb soup

Iranian-style green lentil, chicken and herb soup

A bold, fragrant Middle Eastern-inspired soup. Don't scrimp on the herbs; they add a wonderful freshness.

3 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe
  • Serves6
  • CourseMain meal
  • Prepare25 mins
  • Cook1 hr 10 mins
  • Total time1 hr 35 mins

Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 150g dried green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 4 free range chicken thighs
  • 1 L fresh chicken stock
  • 100g basmati rice, rinsed
  • 200g spinach
  • 20g pack fresh dill, roughly chopped
  • 100g pack fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
  • 100g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped
  • ½ x 1 lemon, juiced

TOPPING

  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 100g Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp dried mint

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200?C, gas mark 6. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Add the onion with a pinch of salt; soften over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chickpeas, beans, lentils and turmeric; cook for about 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Add 500ml water, bring to the boil then cover the pan and simmer over a low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little extra water if it starts sticking.

  2. Meanwhile, season the chicken and put it in a roasting tin. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp oil; roast for 25-30 minutes, until cooked through, no pink meat remains and the juices run clear. Once the lentils are tender, add the stock, rice and 400ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 11-12 minutes, until the rice is cooked.

  3. To make crispy onions for the topping, put the flour and sea salt on a plate and toss the sliced onion in it. Heat the oil in a frying pan until it begins to sizzle, then add the sliced onion. Fry over a medium heat for 10 minutes until the onion is golden brown and crispy. Set aside on kitchen paper to drain, then sprinkle with a little more sea salt.

  4. When the chicken is cooked and cool enough to handle, remove the skin and shred the meat, discarding the bones. Add to the soup with the spinach and fresh herbs; cook gently, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes until the greens are wilted and becoming darker. Take off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season. To serve, divide the soup between 6 bowls, top with the Greek yogurt and sprinkle over the crispy onions and a pinch of dried mint.

Nutritional

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe

Energy

2,403kJ/ 573kcals

Fat

20g

Saturated Fat

3.5g

Carbohydrates

48g

Sugars

6.1g

Fibre

13g

Protein

43g

Salt

0.9g

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Overall rating (3/5)

3 out of 5 stars1 rating