Chicken, corn and ginger soup

After the more filling, scrummy soups of dead winter I am pleased to find something slightly more refreshing and delicious as we approach the Sydney Spring. I have added shredded chicken for protein, this really is a cheap and easy dish to create!

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup shallots (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 cups of frozen corn kernels
4 cups chicken stock (you can use more, I think up to 2 cups)
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cooked and shredded chicken breast

to serve
sliced spring onions
coriander
1 tsp sesame oil

METHOD
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat
- Add spring onions and ginger, stir for 1 minute
- Add corn, stir for another minute (or longer if corn is still frozen)
- Pour in stock, bring to boil
- Season with rice wine, salt, pepper, sugar, soy sauce
- Simmer for 5 minutes
- Stir in shredded chicken breast

- Ladle into bowls
- Top with coriander, shallots and coriander
- Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil

From: Bill Granger: bills SYDNEY FOOD, Murdoch Books 2004.

Chickpea and Leek Soup

Here we are at the end of the Australian Winter, and I readily admit that it is soup that has helped me stick to my eating plan in the colder weather! Sure, cravings come and go but it is soup that sustains me and gives me the energy I need to get through the day... this one is a keeper, it is silky and satisfying with lots of leek and garlic flavour...

INGREDIENTS
1 x can of chickpeas, drained
1/2 a large sweet potato, peeled and diced
4 leeks (white bit only, finely sliced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
small knob of butter (less than 20g)
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper
4 cups of chicken stock
handful of parmesan (I use grana padano)
1 x cooked chicken breast, shredded
Serves 6

METHOD
- Place chickpeas and sweet potato in a medium saucepan, cover with water, cook for 20min
- Heat a large saucepan, add oil and butter over medium heat
- Add leeks, garlic and a pinch of salt to the saucepan, cook 5-6 minutes until tender
- Add drained chickpeas and sweetpotato, cook for 1 minute
- Add 3 cups of stock and simmer for 15 minutes

- Using a handheld stick blender puree some of the mixture so it is smooth, but be sure to leave some chucks and whole chickpeas for texture
- Add remaining stock, throw in the shredded chicken and heat
- Stir through parmesan and serve

Adapted from: Jamie Oliver, 'The Naked Chef' Penguin Group, 1999