Corn, chicken and kale soup

Instructions

1. Put the onions, celery and garlic in a large pan with 300ml of the stock over a medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the onion and celery are very soft. You might need to add a splash of water if the pot starts to dry out.
2. Add the bay leaves, thyme, chicken and the remaining stock to the pan. Cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan using a slotted spoon, and set aside to rest. Add the sweetcorn to the pan and cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes.
3. Ladle one-third of the soup, along with the bay leaves, into a blender or food processor. Whizz until smooth, then return the purée to the pan. Add the kale and simmer for 3 minutes to soften. Roughly dice the cooked chicken and return to the pan.
4. Season with 1 tsp black pepper and a pinch of salt. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle over the cayenne pepper or paprika to serve.