Chicken Lentil Soup

Instructions

BLANCH LENTILS:
Pour the lentils into a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Drain and refresh under cold running water. This helps them cook quickly and stay tender.
200 g dried green lentils
SAUTÉ VEGETABLES:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pot or casserole over a medium heat. Sauté the carrots, celery and onion for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, tomato purée, cumin, paprika and oregano and cook for 2-3 minutes more, stirring to release all the flavour.
1 Tbsp butter, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 large carrots, 3 ribs celery, 1 red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano
ADD LIQUIDS AND CHICKEN:
Use a pair of clean scissors to chop the tomatoes in the can, then add them to the pot along with the stock, lentils and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, nestle the chicken thighs under the liquid and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are tender and the chicken is cooked through.
400 g can of peeled tomatoes, 1 litre chicken or vegetable broth or stock, 2 bay leaves, 4 large bone-in chicken thighs
SHRED CHICKEN:
Lift the chicken from the soup with a slotted spoon, allow it to cool for a minute or two, then shred the meat, discarding the bones. Return the chicken to the pot and warm through over a low heat.
ADD SPINACH:
Stir through the spinach just until wilted, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, grate over plenty of Parmesan and serve hot with plenty of crusty bread. Optionally you can bump up the protein in this meal by adding a big dollop of cottage cheese over the top. Yum!
2-3 handfuls baby spinach, sea salt and black pepper, Parmesan cheese

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