Quick Smoked Chicken and Chickpea Soup

Cooler weather has finally made it’s way to our part of Kwazulunatal, with rain – I could almost imagine it’s the start of a Cape winter, or an English summer.  Add to the cooler days a bad bout of flu, and I’ve started craving soup,  my ultimate comfort food.

I really didn’t have the energy to make one of my usuals, like my Ouma’s bean soup, or a spicy dhal, or even a fresh vegetable soup, so I rummaged around in my fridge to see what was available and quick. 

Turns out there was a smoked chicken breast in the fridge, and as I love any sort of smoked meat in a soup, that was my starting point for the easiest and quickest soup ever – 1 hour from start to eat, people!  for a tasty, substantial, chicken soup.

Smoked Chicken and Chickpea Soup

a few tablespoons of olive oil, for frying

4 large onions, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 large smoked chicken breast, diced

2 carrots, peeled and grated

2-3 litres of chicken stock

1 tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

salt and pepper to taste

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pot
• Add the onions and fry them gently until they are soft and beginning to brown slightly
• Add the garlic and the smoked chicken, and fry, stirring well
• Pour in the hot chicken stock and add the grated carrots, stir very well
• Turn down the heat, and leave to cook until the flavours are blended and the stock has reduced. If it cooks away too quickly, top up with a little more boiling water or stock
• Add the chickpeas about 10 minutes before serving,  and heat through
• Check the seasoning, and adjust if needed
• Serve with fresh white bread – or have it just like that – delicious.

Enjoy!