Moroccan Style Chicken and Vegetable Soup....cooking light, feeling bright!!

Moroccan Style Chicken and Vegetable Soup…adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine from a couple of years back or perhaps more…turns out beautifully whichever veggie option you choose to go with

Moroccan Style Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

• Onion, finely chopped, 1 large/ 1 cup
• Garlic cloves, finely chopped, 3
• Skinless chicken drumsticks, 4/around 450 grams( I used drumsticks since that is what I had at home, you can use boneless pieces as well for ease but I prefer using bone in pieces as they add much more flavor to soups/stews/curries and remain softer. I would also suggest using thigh or leg pieces instead of breast for the same reason. But, you can go with what you prefer.If using boneless chicken, cut them into bite size pieces)
• Tomato Paste, 1 ½ tbsp or Tomato Puree, 4 tbsp
• Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes, 300 grams/about 3 cups (or Carrots or Sweet Potatoes)
• Chicken Stock or any stock of your choice, 4 cups (again less or more depending on the consistency you want)
• Green Peas, frozen, 2 cups
• Couscous, ½ cup (less or more depending on the consistency you want)
• Cumin powder, 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder, ¼ tsp (or about an inch long whole cinnamon)
• Red Chili powder, ½ tsp
• Paprika, ½ tsp
• Black Pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp
• Fresh Parsley or Fresh Coriander leaves, a handful, finely chopped
• Lemon Zest or Orange Zest, about 1 tsp

 Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat and stir in the onions.

Once the onions start to soften, add in the chicken and fry till it turns golden brown on all sides.

Lower the heat and add in garlic, cumin powder, cinnamon powder, red chili powder, paprika, black and pepper powder and toss to coat.

Add in the butternut squash and tomato paste. Stir and mix well and sauté for a couple of minutes more.

Increase the heat to high and add in the stock. Once the stock comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low and leave to simmer for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The squash should get tender and chicken completely cooked.

If using bone in pieces, remove them with a slotted spoon and keep aside.

Stir in the salt, peas and couscous. Let them simmer with the soup for about 6-7 minutes.

In the meanwhile, shred the chicken pieces with a fork and discard the bones.

Switch off the heat and gently stir in the shredded chicken, parsley and lemon zest. Serve hot.

Notes:

• If there are leftovers, you would need to add more stock while reheating as couscous would have absorbed a lot of the leftover soup. Get the stock to boil and then add in the leftover soup. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and it is ready to serve again.