Hot and Sour Soup

From the book Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Serves

4 to 6

Introduction

I know that for some people nothing feels more restoring than something warm and unchallengingly bland, but when it’s succor and sustenance I need, it’s spice that I want. This soup is easy to throw together; use bouillon for the chicken stock, and buy the tom yam paste at the supermarket.

Ingredients

	6½	cups chicken stock
	1	heaping tablespoon tom yam hot and sour paste
	4	kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped, optional
	1	stick lemongrass, tender inner part only, roughly chopped
	~	Juice of 1 lime
	4	Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
	2 to 3	small jalapeños or fresh red or green chiles, finely chopped
	1	tsp. sugar
	1½	cups plus 2 tablespoons straw or button mushrooms, halved or quartered according to size
	1	lb. 2 ounces peeled raw shrimp, thawed if frozen
	5	small scallions, cut into short lengths and then into strips
	~	Small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Steps

Heat the stock and tom yam paste in a decent-sized saucepan with the lime leaves, lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, chiles, and sugar. Bring to a boil, add the mushrooms, and simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the shrimp and scallions and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are cooked but still tender. Sprinkle with a little cilantro and put more on the table for people to add themselves as they want.

Notes

For a little extra oomph, quickly boil and drain some rice vermicelli; add to the hot soup just before serving.

This content is from the book Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.