Chicken Borscht with Rye Dumplings

This vibrant soup is sure to warm up a chilly day. Hands-on time 30min. Cooking time about 55min. Serves 4  2tbsp olive oil  3 chicken thigh fillets  1 onion, finely chopped  2 garlic cloves, crushed  1tsp smoked paprika, sweet or hot  2 large beetroots, peeled and coarsely grated  2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated  400g tin plum tomatoes  750ml (1¼ pint) hot chicken stock  2-3tsp Maggi liquid seasoning, or use soy sauce  Quark or natural yogurt, optional  Fresh dill, to garnish FOR THE RYE DUMPLINGS  100g (31/2oz) rye bread  40g (11/2oz) self-raising flour  1tbsp finely chopped dill, plus extra to garnish  50g (2oz) butter, chilled and grated  1 medium egg, beaten

1 Heat 1tbsp oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and fry on both sides until well browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

2 Add remaining oil to pan; reduce heat to low. Fry

onion for 5-6min, stirring occasionally, until softened. Stir in garlic and paprika; fry for 2min. Add vegetables, stirring to break up tomatoes.

3 Return chicken to pan (along with any juices). Add stock and Maggi seasoning/ soy sauce and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25-30min, until chicken is cooked through and tender.

4 Meanwhile, make dumplings. Pulse bread in the small bowl of a food processor to coarse crumbs. Add remaining ingredients and season; pulse briefly to combine. Roll into 24 small balls, roughly 1/2tbsp each.

5 When chicken is cooked, remove to a board and shred with two forks. Stir back into soup; check seasoning. Arrange dumplings on top. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10min, until dumplings are puffed and cooked through. Divide between 4 bowls and top each with a spoonful of quark/yogurt, if you like. Garnish with dill and serve.

PER SERVING (without quark/yogurt) 418cals, 24g protein, 19g fat

(9g saturates), 35g carbs (15g total sugars), 8g fibre