My lovely friend Fauzia, who runs her own catering company, has recently given me a recipe for her favourite winter-warming soup. I can’t wait to try it.

You can find so many types of vegetable in your fridge and pantry in these days I thought we could make a wonderful Afghan winter soup called Aash soup. Here’s what I use and how I make mine.

Ingredients

• a small onion chopped finely
• tomato paste
• fresh garlic, ginger and chilli
• cumin, coriander and turmeric powder
• a small potato
• a medium carrot
• half cooked chicken breast
• a small white radish
• can of any of the following beans: kidney beans, green beans or chickpeas
• one bag of any pasta (size 3 will be better)

How to cook

Put a medium pot on the heat and put little olive oil

Add finely chopped onion, salt, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for five minutes in medium heat

Add the tomato paste, when the onion and pieces looks yellow

Add some cumin, coriander and turmeric powder into the pot

Add cooked chicken breast torn into pieces

Add some water and let them boil lightly until you have chopped your vegetables

All vegetable should be chopped very small and add to the soup and let them boil for about 10 minutes

Add your can of beans in and test for salt

Separately, boil your pasta in a big pot in salty water for 5 mins

Wash it with warm water into a colander

Add the pasta into your soup and boil it for another 3 to five minutes depending on how you like your pasta

Turn of the stove and leave it for 5 minutes

Chop your fresh coriander and even some capsicum, if you like, to decorate. Serve it in individual bowls