With the weather outside so chilly and grey, I find I turn to a bowl of soup to warm me up and fill me with nutrition and goodness.
I have mixed it up with fresh, fragrant broths, and simple-to-make soups that are famous the world over for their depth of flavour and feel-good factor.
Photos: Simon Lambert.
Vietnamese chicken pho
This broth is one of the most famous of all soups to come out of Vietnam. To make a soup like this, you have to take time to make a deep, flavoursome stock. You also need fresh, fragrant herbs, tender noodles and, to finish, always fresh lime.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 chicken (free range)
20g ginger, unpeeled
2 onions
5 star anise
1 tsp coriander seeds
150g daikon radish
3 Tbsp fish sauce
50g palm sugar
1 tsp salt
Garnish
200g rice noodles
10ml hoisin sauce
10ml sriracha
½ bunch of Thai basil
½ bunch of coriander
500g of bean sprouts
6 spring onions, finely sliced. Put in ice-cold water to keep crisp
2 red chillies, finely sliced (seeds removed if you like)
2 limes, quartered
6 Tbsp crispy shallots
Method
Begin by making the broth. You will notice a few techniques for this stock that will make your pho even more authentic.
Blacken the ginger and onion over an open flame if possible. Don't be alarmed by this technique, as it is commonly used to infuse a wonderful smokiness to your ingredients.
Blacken the ingredients for around 5 minutes or until the juices run from the onion and the ginger is black all over. Rinse under cold water to remove the blackened outside layer.
In a dry frypan, gently roast the spices over medium heat for around 2 minutes or until fragrant. Remove and wrap up in a small piece of cloth and tie with string.
In a large pot, bring 3 litres of water to the boil and add the whole chicken, the blackened ginger and onion, the bag of spices and the piece of daikon. Bring back to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 hour.
Once the hour has passed, remove all the ingredients from the pan and carefully skim away the foam and impurities from the surface of the broth.
Remove the chicken from the stock and set to one side.
Add the fish sauce, salt and sugar to the broth and leave to simmer for a further 30 minutes.
Soak the rice noodles in lukewarm water for 20 minutes, then drain and place in a pan of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well and leave to cool.
Take a handful of noodles and place in a bowl, adding a small handful of bean sprouts. Slice the chicken and place on top. Now pour the broth into the bowl, leaving a small amount of room for the herbs.
Pour over the hot stock and sprinkle over some spring onions.
Serve with fresh lime, hoisin sauce and, of course, sriracha chilli.
Pork and kimchi soup
This is a simple version of one of my favourite Korean soups. Not only is this hugely satisfying, it is also very nutritious and good for you!
Serves 6
Ingredients
500g pork belly, cut into 1cm pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp Korean fish sauce
2 Tbsp oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups kimchi, aged if possible, squeezed dry and chopped
3 Tbsp Korean red pepper paste (gochujang)
1 Tbsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 cup kimchi juice
2 litres stock or water
200g silken tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
4 spring onions, finely sliced
Method
Begin by marinating the pork belly: Put the garlic, soy, ginger, sesame oil and fish sauce in a bowl. Toss the pork well in the marinade and leave for at least 15 minutes, but longer if possible.
Set a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil then the pork belly mixture and let it cook gently for 5 minutes.
Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium high and add kimchi, red pepper paste (gochujang) and red pepper flakes (gochugaru). Let mixture simmer for 2 minutes.
Add kimchi juice and water (or broth, if using) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a brisk simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.
To serve, add the tofu a couple of minutes beforehand to warm through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with spring onions.
Lablabi
This soup comes from Tunisia, as far as I know. It is a simple combination of fresh flavours, great stock and soft-boiled eggs to finish.
Serves 6
Ingredients
1½ litres chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 tsp ground cumin
2-3 tsp harissa (moroccan chilli sauce)
1 tsp salt
4 slices sourdough or any good-quality bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup coriander, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp capers
6 soft-boiled eggs, peeled
extra virgin olive oil, for serving
Method
Bring the stock to a gentle simmer. Add the chickpeas, cumin, harissa and salt and continue cooking for 15 minutes to infuse the flavours.
Warm the soup bowls and add the torn bread, herbs, capers. Cut the boiled eggs in half and place in the bowls.
Ladle over the hot soup, drizzle with a little oil and enjoy at once.
Bone broth with turmeric and lemon
Everyone needs a great bone broth recipe up their sleeve! It may seem like a bit of a palaver to some, but the final product is worth every sip. Making a great stock like this is also the base for any great stew, sauce and, of course, soup.
Makes 3 litres
Ingredients
3kg beef bones: marrow bones, knuckles, ribs etc
300g onions, peeled and cut into large chunks
300g leek, washed, outer leaves removed and remaining roughly cut
300g carrots, roughly cut
300g celery, cut into large pieces
1 tsp black peppercorns
handful parsley stalks
1 garlic bulb, cut in half
2 bay leaves
9 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (3 Tbsp for every litre of water)
To serve
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp lemon juice
salt to taste
Method
Rinse the bones in cold water then place in a large, deep stockpot. Cover with cold water (3-5 litres depending on pot) and add the cider vinegar. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Place the bones and liquid on the stove, add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. (If you want a richer stock, you can roast them in a hot oven to golden brown).
Remove any scum from the surface, as this is impurities that need not be in your stock and will also make it go cloudy.
Lower the temperature to a gentle simmer for at least 6 hours, and longer if possible.
Strain the stock through a sieve, keeping the delicious stock and discarding the bones and vegetables.
Cool and remove any fat or impurities that may have risen to the surface.
Return the pot of stock to the heat, taste and reduce over a moderately high heat. You only need to do this to intensify the flavour of the stock. The more you reduce this, the stronger it will get.
Serve in cups or small bowls with turmeric and lemon added.
I also like to serve this with cooked grains, cultured vegetables and organic greens to add even more goodness.
