Ramadan nourishment soup
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Ramadan nourishment soup
'During Ramadan, while on the one hand no food or water passes the lips of those exercising the fast from sunrise to sunset, on the other, each evening the dining table is laden with a dizzying spread of mouthwatering dishes,' says chef Saliha. 'This chicken soup nourishes and restores, preparing the body for the marathon that is fasting in the month of Ramadan.'
Serves: 4-6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
548Kcal
Fat
16gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
68gr
Sugars
3gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
33gr
Salt
0.6gr
Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed
Saliha was the 2017 winner of MasterChef and now combines her work as an NHS gastroenterologist with food writing. She is the author of two books, Khazana, which celebrates her Indo-Persian roots, and Foodology: A Food Lover’s Guide to Digestive Health and Happiness, in which she draws on her medical expertise.
See more of Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed’s recipes
Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed
Saliha was the 2017 winner of MasterChef and now combines her work as an NHS gastroenterologist with food writing. She is the author of two books, Khazana, which celebrates her Indo-Persian roots, and Foodology: A Food Lover’s Guide to Digestive Health and Happiness, in which she draws on her medical expertise.
See more of Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-1.2kg chicken, jointed and skinned
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 120g pearl barley, rinsed
- 50g red lentils, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, bashed
- 1 thumb-size piece of root ginger, chopped into big chunks
- 1.5ltr light chicken stock, made using 2 stock pots or cubes
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- juice of 1 lemon
- handful of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Step by step
- Fry the onion in the olive oil a large pot or casserole until it is light golden in colour; about 6-8 minutes. Add the chicken pieces to the onions and allow them to lightly brown all over on a medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes.
- Add the spices, pearl barley, red lentils, garlic and ginger to the pot and mix well to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently, uncovered, over a medium heat for around an hour. If the pan starts looking dry, top up with small amounts of boiled water. After an hour, turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- Discard the ginger from the soup. Take out the cooled pieces of chicken and shred the meat off the bones; be careful not to shred too finely. Discard the bones and return the chicken to the pot. Top up the pot with around 500ml water to bring it back to a soupy consistency and bring to the boil.
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Mix the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water to form a cream-like mixture and stir this into the soup. After a few minutes of boiling, the soup will thicken. Season the soup with salt and lemon juice to taste; scatter with parsley before serving.To storeThe soup keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat, adding a splash of water.
