Creamy chicken, bacon and lentil soup with ciabatta

Step 1

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pot on medium to high heat. Add bacon and cook for about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrots, celery and leek. Stir, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are just tender.

Step 2

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt. Add to pot with thyme, lentils, stock, water and salt and bring to a simmer while stirring. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked and lentils are tender.

Step 3

In a small bowl mix all chipotle sour cream ingredients together.

Step 4

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from soup, roughly dice or shred and return to pot. Stir in sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 5

TO SERVE, ladle soup into bowls, add a dollop of chipotle sour cream and sprinkle with parsley and paprika. Serve with ciabatta on the side.