Warming chicken soups

The base is a pre-prepared chicken stock (see tip, right), but if you can find a fresh shop-bought version, that will do the trick. There’s a fair amount of heat from the bird’s-eye chillies, but you can adjust the amount to suit your taste.

Serves 6

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

30g galangal, peeled and thinly sliced 2 litres chicken stock (see tip, right,

or use fresh shop-bought)

6 kaffir lime leaves

3 lemongrass stalks, flattened and

bruised with a knife

120g mushrooms, sliced (optional)

4 red bird’s-eye chillies, split in half

lengthways but left whole

300g vermicelli rice noodles

600g cooked chicken, shredded

2 pak choi, cut into quarters

2-3 tsp fish sauce lime juice, to taste

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

FOR THE TOPPING handful of coriander, torn

6 handfuls of ready-to-eat beansprouts 3 red chillies, thinly sliced

1 lime, cut into wedges

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium-low heat, and cook the onion for 2-3 mins until soft and golden. Add the garlic, ginger and galangal and cook for 1-2 mins more. Add the stock, 1 tsp salt, lime leaves, lemongrass, mushrooms, if using, and chillies. Simmer for about 20 mins until fragrant.

2 Add the noodles and cook for a further

7-8 mins until cooked through. Add the chicken and pak choi and cook for 3 mins more. Season with the fish sauce and lime juice, then add the spring onions.

2 Divide the broth between six bowls, then top with the coriander, beansprouts, red chillies and a lime wedge each.