Step 1

Pour the oil into the cast iron pot. Once the oil is hot and starts to shimmer add in the diced onion, garlic and the thyme leaves. Let this gently sweat for about 5 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent but have no colour.

Step 2

Add in the cleaned and thinly sliced leeks and celery. Continue to cook until the leeks are soft and tender and starting to smell fragrant.

Step 3

While the onions and leek are sweating peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. About 3.5cm cubes is what we're looking for. Stir the potatoes into the softened onions and leeks and stir well to make sure that the potatoes get fully incorporated. Season well with sea salt. *see notes

Step 4

Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and stir in the curry and turmeric. Bring the soup to a boil then turn it down to a simmer. Add in the whole chicken breasts and cook covered until the potatoes are tender. Once the chicken is cooked (this should take about 10 minutes) remove the breasts to a chopping board and let cool for a few minutes before using 2 forks to pull apart and shred the chicken. *see note 3

Step 5

Once the potatoes are cooked all the way through use a stick blender or an upright blender to blend the soup until it's smooth and has a thick creamy consistency. Depending on how thick you like your soup, you may need/want to add more water.

Step 6

Once the soup is blended place it back in the pot if you used an upright blender and stir the chopped parsley and shredded chicken into the soup. Taste and adjust the level of seasoning if required. Add in the lemon juice or a small splash of cider vinegar to balance out the flavours and bring some much-needed acidity to the soup.