Chicken soup recipe

Typical of many Azerbaijani soups is the use of different varieties of dried plum and prune to add a fruity zest to the flavour.

Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 40 min
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 150 g/6 oz chicken
• 25 g/1 oz short-grain rice
• 25 g/1 oz dried greengages and prunes
• 25 g/1 oz chickpeas
• saffron
• dill
• coriander
• salt and pepper

Preparation

• Soak the chickpeas overnight (10 to 12 hours) in cold water. Rinse the peas and change the water. Simmer for one to two hours, until soft.
• Rinse the chicken and simmer in a generous amount of water until the meat is falling off the bone (approximately 45 minutes). Skim off any foam that forms on top of the pan.
• Take the chicken out of the water. Strain the water, which has now become bouillon, into another saucepan. Bring the bouillon to the boil, add 4 to 5 threads of saffron, salt & pepper and the rice. Cook for 15 minutes.
• Add the chickpeas, dried greengages or prunes and cook for another 15 minutes until the rice is soft.
• Add the cooked chicken, taken off the bone and broken into pieces, and half the chopped herbs. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Serve in bowls with the remaining finely chopped herbs on top.