This hearty broth, packed with flavour and full of Asian umame flavours, makes for a winter lunch that is both comforting and healthy

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled
3 shallots
2 red chilies
2 lemon grass sticks
3 garlic cloves
2 lime leaves
Stalks from a bunch of coriander
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Handful of dried porchini mushrooms
2 limes – zest and juice
750ml Stock (vegetable or chicken)
1 tsp tamerind paste
1 tsp Fish sauce
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 ½ tsp palm sugar (or maple syrup)
Garlic clove, thinly sliced
250g Shitake mushrooms – chopped into quarters
250g enoki mushrooms

To serve

Sesame oil
Udon noodles
Tofu
Spring onions
Radishes
Coriander leaves
Sesame seeds

Method

1. Finely chop the shallots, ginger, chillies, garlic, lemon grass and coriander stalks (or blitz in a food processor).
2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan and add the above, sauté for 5 minutes then add the spices, lime leaves, shitake and enoki mushrooms and lime zest. Heat for another 2 mins, keep stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn.
3. Add the stock, tamarind, fish sauce and soy sauce. Simmer on a medium heat for at least 20 minutes to allow the soup to infuse.
4. Next dry the tofu between paper towels and cut into cubes, fry in a pan with groundnut oil until crisp and golden then add a splash of soy sauce and sesame oil. While these cook, slice up the spring onions, radishes, coriander and chillies for your topping.
5. Cook your noodles according to the packet instructions. Serve in a deep bowl with the broth, mushrooms and tofu, adding all the pretty toppings, finishing with a few coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds.

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