This hearty Indian-inspired soup will warm you up on a cold day – don't feel guilty as it's low in calories and fat. Freeze some for lazy days.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into 1.5cm dice
- 2 parsnips, cut into 1.5cm dice
- 1 large potato, cut into 1.5cm dice
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 3 tbsp medium balti curry paste
- 700g passata
- 200g cooked basmati rice
- Small bunch fresh coriander, chopped, to serve
For the poached chicken and stock
- 1 small free-range chicken
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 carrot, cut into large chunks
- 1 celery stalk, cut into large chunks
- 1 onion, halved
Method
- 1. Put the chicken in a big pan, add the flavourings and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, skim off any scum and simmer for 45 minutes until the chicken juices run clear. Remove the chicken from the pan; remove and discard the skin. Take the meat from the bones and shred it. Sieve the stock into a pan and discard the solids. Boil until reduced by half.
- 2. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the remaining oil, the carrot, parsnip, potato and red pepper. Cook for 3 minutes more. Increase the heat, stir in the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring, then add the passata and 1 litre of the stock. Season, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the rice and shredded chicken for the last 3 minutes and cook to heat through. Cool and freeze for up to 3 months.
- 3. Defrost completely, heat through and serve sprinkled with coriander.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 281kcals, 6.1g fat (1g saturated), 30.6g protein, 27.1g carbs, 5.9g sugar, 0.9g salt
Chef's tip
You can reheat soups in the microwave. Defrost, cover with cling film and cook for 3-4 minutes.