Anything that’s around in the fridge or larder gets thrown into this soup!
Serves 4
450g (1lb) chicken thighs
450g (1lb) chuck or stewing steak
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
200g (7oz) yam
1 red chilli
3–4 tbsp vegetable oil
450g (1lb) sweet potatoes
a few sprigs of fresh thyme or ¼ tsp dried thyme
1 x 400g (14oz) tin red kidney beans, drained
1 x 225g (8oz) tin chopped tomatoes
5cm (2in) cinnamon stick
1.75 litres (3 pints) beef stock (use cubes)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
for the dumplings
350g (12oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
100g (4oz) cornmeal
¼ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp salt
150–200ml (5–7fl oz) water, to bind
Step one Chop each thigh into two or three pieces and cut the steak into chunks. Next, prepare the vegetables: peel and slice the onion, peel and crush the garlic, and peel and roughly dice the yam. De-seed and chop the chilli and, finally, wash and roughly dice the sweet potato. Season the chicken and beef and fry in hot oil for 3–4 minutes until well browned. Add the onion, garlic, yam, chilli, thyme and sweet potato. Stir and cook for another 3–4 minutes.
Step two Add the kidney beans, tomatoes and cinnamon stick, then pour in the beef stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour until the meat is tender.
Step three Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix together all the dry ingredients and slowly add enough water to make a soft dough. Using floured hands, shape the dough into balls about the size of whole walnuts, then drop them into the soup. Cover again and cook for 10–15 minutes until the dumplings have puffed up on the surface of the soup. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.