A delicious, spicy chicken soup crammed full of Indian spices, off-set by the sweetness of vine tomatoes and cooling creme fraishe. With the addition of both yellow and green spilt peas this filling soup not only satisfies the hungriest of crowds but also ticks the box for a healthy and nutritious meal. And if thats not enough - its also great for using up leftover turkey or leftover chicken!!
Spicy Chicken Soup with yellow and green split peas
If you're ever in need of a recipe that will feed a crowd but isn't the usual hot pot, chicken tikka masala curry or chilli con carne, then a spicy chicken soup, which is actually more of stew, will always do the job. This particular soup is also bulked up with split peas, which soak up all the spicy Indian flavours and also adds a wonderful texture to the soup.
What do you put in a homemade chicken soup?
Generally when it comes to chicken or turkey soup - anything goes. Its great for using up leftovers and clearing out the fridge. So its especially good at Christmas when theres plenty of leftover turkey and veggies. So even though its not written in the recipe - if you have leftover carrots, leftover leeks, leftover potatoes - whatever - chuck em in!
In the recipe below I've actually stayed more true to a tarka dahl type curry - using onions, tomatoes and pulses as the base of the dish. But the beauty of this soup is that you can choose what goes in and what stays out. And that includes the spices. . . . Theres a great article here: for inspiration on different spices and how you can use them.
How do you make spicy chicken soup?
If you are using leftover chicken or turkey then this goes in towards the end of the recipe. Same goes for raw chicken accept a little prep is required before hand, where the chicken is seared off in a pan first. The rest of the ingredients, apart from the split peas, all go into one big pan and are cooked down into a soup. The split peas are boiled in water in a separate pan for around 45 minutes to ensure they are nice and soft before being mixed into the soup.
How can I spice up a chicken soup?
If you have ever asked yourself this question then this recipe is your answer! Turmeric, garam masala, cumin seed, fresh coriander, fresh chilli, and garlic - all provide an array of spice and flavour and really do boost a chicken soup in both colour and taste. Of course a very similar recipe to this, which will also give the same affect, is mulligatawny soup. - My recipe for this uses carrots, nigella(onion) seeds, and wild rice - love it!! If you're after a more mellow soup why not try tuscan ribollita soup, leek and potato soup or creamy cauliflower soup.
This soup is made extra special with the toppings of creme fraiche, spring onion and fresh coriander - It just wouldn't be the same without these 🙂 Enjoy!!
OTHER SPICY RECIPES:
- Thai red curry
- Thai red curry paste
- Thai green curry
- Thai green curry paste
- Massaman curry
- Massaman curry paste
- Thai yellow curry paste
- Chicken tikka masala curry
- Homemade Tikka masala paste
- Fish biryani
- Quick chicken and almond curry
- Spicy chicken soup
- Mulligatawny chicken and wild rice soup
For more recipe ideas for a cosy night in have a look at my romantic dinner recipes post.
📖 Recipe
Spicy chicken soup
Ingredients
- 200 g yellow split peas
- 200 g green split peas
- 800 g raw Chicken breast or 650g cooked leftover Chicken/Turkey
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (to cook chicken if using raw)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for frying off the onions)
- 500 g onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped (7g)
- 500 g vine tomatoes quartered and seeds scooped out and discarded.
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon medium curry powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 green chillies finely chopped (25g)
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 500 ml water
To serve:
- Creme fraiche
- Sliced spring onion
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Place the split peas into a medium sized pan, cover with double the amount of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on (or follow instructions on pack).
- Whilst the split peas are cooking prepare the raw chicken (skip this step if using cooked chicken or turkey): Slice the chicken into 2 cm chunks. Heat up half a tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the raw chicken. Seal the meat on all sides and fry for at least 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set to one side.
- Check the split peas - add more water if needed and keep at a simmer.
- Next start to make the soup: In a large pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook gently until soft. Next add the quartered vine tomatoes (seeds removed), followed by the turmeric, cumin seeds, garam masala, curry powder, and seasoning. Stir well ensuring the spices fully coat the onions and tomatoes. Cook for a further 2 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften.
- Next add the chopped green chilli, tomato puree and 500ml tap water. Stir well.
- Now mix in the chicken breast that was sealed off earlier. Or if using pre cooked / leftover turkey or chicken now is the time to slice or shred this and add to the soup. Mix well and bring everything to a simmer.
- Finally return to the split peas - taste test to see if they are cooked through and soft. If so, drain and transfer to the soup. Mix well one last time.
- If the soup appears a little thin, continue to simmer on a low heat until reduced down to the right consistency.
- Serve up and top with creme fraiche, spring onions and fresh coriander. Or transfer and store in sealable containers. This soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
The post Spicy Chicken Soup (/leftover turkey soup) appeared first on ProperFoodie.