This nourishing and spicy broth is my favourite meal to prepare for the family when they need a boost. It has a great collection of polyphenol-rich spices, anti-viral allium vegetables and plenty of warming flavours. I prefer to keep the spices such as cloves whole — feel free to remove them before serving.


Method

• If serving with crispy chicken skin, preheat oven to 180°C fan. Spread the chicken skins flat on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little salt and roast for 20 minutes. Leave to stand (they’ll crisp as they cool), then season lightly and break into shards.

• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep saucepan over a medium heat, add the chicken thighs and brown all over for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.

• Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the onion and celery for 5 minutes until softened.

• Add the garlic, ginger, bay leaves, turmeric and whole spices and fry for a further minute.

• Add the chopped parsley stalks and rice. Return the chicken to the pan then pour over the stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (it may not need it if the stock was salty).

• Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool slightly. Pull the meat from the bones, roughly chop, then put into individual bowls. Check for seasoning, add the shredded greens to the pan and simmer gently for a couple of minutes until wilted, then finish with the parsley leaves.

• Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with shards of the crispy chicken skin, if you like.
  

Recipe adapted from: Dr Rupy Cooks, Healthy, Easy, Flavour (Ebury Press)