Hot & Sour Soup

Hot & Sour Soup

This is a fast take on a traditional soup but using seasonal Asian greens. Tofu, thinly sliced chicken breast, beef or whole prawns can be added if desired.

Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 – 20 mins

2 litres salt-reduced or home-made chicken stock
2 stalks lemon grass, peeled and bruised
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, bruised
4cm piece ginger, grated
4 red chillies, seeded and finely sliced
200g button mushrooms, halved
10 snake (long), beans cut into 4cm lengths
2 stalks/ ½ bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), finely chopped
2 stalks/1/2 bunch choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage), finely chopped
1/2 bunch bok choy, finely chopped
2 baby bok choy, finely chopped
100ml fresh lime juice (approx 3 limes)
2 teaspoons (10ml) fish sauce, or to taste
½ white radish (daikon), peeled and grated
1/2 cup coriander leaves
1 bunch green onions (shallots), sliced

1. Place stock in a large saucepan with lemon grass, garlic, lime leaves and ginger and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse flavours. Remove flavourings.
2. Add two chillies, mushrooms and snake beans to the chicken broth. After a few minutes add stalks of Chinese greens and two minutes later the leaves. Cook for two minutes more and then adjust flavour with lime juice and fish sauce.
3. To serve: place a mound of daikon in each soup bowl and ladle over the soup. Serve with bowls of coriander leaves, extra daikon, green onions and extra chilli.
4. Lyndey’s note: Any combination of Asian greens can be used for this recipe. If limes are small, roll them for a minute or so before slicing to extract more juice.

Lyndey’s Note: Australian measurements 1 tablespoon = 20ml are used throughout.