Algerian Chicken and Chickpea Soup
Posted by Sylvia on Wed 5 November 2008
I’m addicted to the Australian Women’s Weekly cookbooks – they do a whole set of cookbooks focusing on specific cuisines which I’ve been slowly collecting as I find them. My latest is Moroccan and the Foods of North Africa. This is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook and both Cliff and I really enjoyed it. I think Connor would too, which makes it a big winner! I made a few minor modifications (poaching the chicken means it’s more tender and more importantly means less calories, I added a touch of spicy harissa which perked up the flavor) but this is pretty much the recipe as found in the book.
Algerian Chicken and Chickpea Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 350g chicken breast fillets
- 1 large brown onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons ground cilantro
- 1 teaspoon ground tumeric
- 1½ teaspoon harissa (or add ½ teaspoon paprika and chile powder to taste, this should be a mild dish generally)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 35g (quarter cup) plain flour
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 2x300g chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2x400g cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped preserved lemon
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander
- Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a touch of salt and then add the chicken and turn off the heat. Leave the chicken in the water for 20-30 minutes, or almost until cooked through. Cool; shred chicken coarsely.
- Head the remaining oil in large saucepan; cook onion, garlic and ginger, stirring, until onion softens. Add spices; cook, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add flour; cook, stirring, until mixture bubbles and thickens. Gradually stir in stock and water; cook, stirring, until mixture comes to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes.
- Add chickpeas and undrained tomatoes, bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.
- Add chicken and lemon; stir soup over heat until hot. Just before serving, stir in fresh coriander.
Recipe makes 6 servings at 288 calories per serving – but we ate two servings as a main course. :P