TODAY’S RECIPE: Moroccan harira and chicken soup

A deliciously warming dish. Serves 4-5

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 leek, washed, finely sliced 4 fat celery sticks, chopped into small pieces 3 large carrots, chopped into small pieces 2 big parsnips, peeled, chopped into small pieces 1 small pack coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved to serve 1 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tsp each ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and turmeric 2 tbsp harissa 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes 2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled 85g/3oz raw green lentils Zest and juice 1 lemon 1 tbsp golden caster sugar Natural yogurt, toast and houmous, to serve Method

1 Heat half the oil in a frying pan, season the thighs and brown really well on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Tip a mug of water into the pan and simmer, scraping up all browned bits. Tip liquid into a measuring jug for later.

2 Put the remaining oil, vegetables and coriander stalks in a big saucepan. Gently cook until the veg is softened — about five minutes. Stir in the spices, turn up the heat and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the harissa, followed by the tomatoes, chicken, stock cubes and lentils. Top up your jug of chicken juices to 500ml with water, then add this to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

3 Lift the chicken from the soup and shred finely using a couple of forks. Return to the soup with the lemon zest and juice, sugar and seasoning to taste. Ladle into bowls with a dollop of yogurt and the coriander leaves, and serve with toast, spread with houmous and drizzled with oil.