The FiFi Report 264

Chickpea and Chicken Soup

I don’t normally like soup: I want to eat dinner not drink it ! But this is like a soupy stew, spicy and Moroccan with lots to chew on. Perfect for a cold winter’s night.

You need for 4 hungry snowboarders, 8 lazy snow bunnies or 20 models:

1 red onion chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 knob of ginger
3 teasp of Moroccan spice (found in the supermarket or you can try Ras el Hanout)
1 teasp harissa
3 bay leaves
10 coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 can chopped tomatoes
4 cups of chicken stock
1 can chickpeas
2 chicken breasts + 2 thigh fillets
Olive oil for cooking
Bunch coriander for accessorizing
Couscous or potatoes to serve

  • Chop up the ginger into small slivers.
  • Chop up garlic as small as Lady Gaga’s sense of elegance. Actually not that small.
  • Pour a glass of wine.
  • Put on new Tom Ford sunglasses.
  • Apply waterproof mascara.
  • Chop up onion quite small as a dab of lip gloss.
  • Wipe away tears.
  • Chop up the breasts and/or thighs. The chicken not yours. Into bite size chunks.
  • Now heat up some non designer olive oil in a big saucepan that can hold the soup.
  • Throw in the ginger, the onion and the garlic.
  • Give it a good stir and wait till the onion is slightly cooked.
  • Then add the Moroccan spice, the harissa, the cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.
  • Chuck in the whole coriander seeds (you can crush if you like).
  • Give it a quick stir for about one minute.
  • Gulp down some more wine.
  • Now toss in the tomatoes, the chickpeas and the chicken stock.
  • Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer.
  • Toss in the chicken and stir.
  • Now simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is falling apart and cooked.
  • If you like you can also toss in chopped potatoes and then let it simmer away till they are cooked. You can put a lid on it so you don’t lose all the liquid.
  • When you serve it you can use a slotted spoon and just grab the chunky bits.
  • Serve with lots of coriander, couscous and even some preserved lemon.
  • TIP: always better if served the day after so that the flavours all melt in together.
  • Divine!