Recipe: Chicken and Organic Bean Soup

*This is another guest post by Hubby.

With Mother's Day around the corner, what better way to reward my children's mother (read avid foodie / food blogger) than to treat her to lunch at one of her fave restaurants (check!), write a guest post for her food blog (check!) and cook her lunch at home (check, see below).

Chicken and organic bean soup

As a child growing up in the UK, lunch was our main meal of the day at home. Always 3 courses in the winter - soup, meat and potatoes, followed by milk pudding.  Despite the torturous heat in KL currently, I recently saw a pack of organic beans in the supermarket and was inspired to recreate a UK-style soup for Baby Sumo and our family.

The organic soupmix consists of 7 types of different beans which is high in protein, complex carbohydrate and dietary fibre. Hence this soup is highly nutritious. You will find lima beans, yellow split peas, mung bean, pinto bean, adzuki bean, garden pea and red lentil. Just soak overnight in cold water and it is ready to use the next day.

For this soup, I used chicken carcasses which can be easily obtained in Malaysia's wet market. You can also use leftover roast chicken bones for this. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours, then roughly mash the potatoes to thicken the soup. Rich and hearty (and easy to put together), it reminded me of home. Even Baby C enjoyed this soup- I was happy to be able to introduce her to a soup from my childhood.

Soup by me, food styling by Baby Sumo (Teamwork ;))

Chicken and Bean Soup
Recipe by Baby Sumo's hubby
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Serves 4


Ingredients
3 chicken carcasses
2l water
1 pack (200g) organic soupmix, soaked overnight in cold water
1 carrot, cut into thick chunks
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 potatoes, cut into thick chunks
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper

To garnish
A few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped


1. First, place the chicken carcasses in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil. Once boiling, remove carcasses and then pour away the water. This is to remove the scum and any impurities.

2. Place the chicken back in the pot and cover with cold water again, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, lower to low heat, and then add carrots, onion, potatoes, bay leaf, dried thyme and soupmix. Boil on low heat for 2 1/2 hours.

3. Using a slotted spoon, lift the potatoes and roughly mash with the back of a spoon. This will help thicken the soup slightly. Alternatively, you can place the soup (after removing the chicken carcasses) into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Scoop soup into soup bowls (with a bit of everything) and garnish with parsley. Serve with warm bread/toast.

Served the soup with Jenga Toast and basil dip inspired by Sage

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