It has been a week of spoon-and-bowl food, rather than knife, fork and plate stuff. Soups that double as vegetable stews, light yet sustaining enough to be considered lunch. We ate much of it in the garden, too, surrounded by new green growth fizzing from every branch and stem. There is often a southeast Asian accent to many of my spring soups, either in the form of a citrus and chilli spice paste, or by the inclusion of sweet white miso paste. Two or three tablespoons of the latter has the ability to transport a plain chicken stock into something altogether more interesting, and something to which I can introduce crisp greens such as shredded spring cabbage, peas or spring carrots. Sometimes all three. This fermented bean paste produces a sweet-tempered broth, mild and faintly uplifting. Big flavoured it is not. (For that, we need the dark miso, a more savoury beast.) I include a splash of soy sauce and a drop or two of warming sesame oil if needed.
This has been something of a soup week. I started with a green coconut aubergine soup, using a spice paste, similar to the one I use for a laksa, but without the lime leaves. Two days later, a virtually clear miso soup, crisp with sugar snap peas and spring onions, then a light porcini herb broth with pea shoots, which you can find on the website. Soups that are full of the joys of spring.
Miso vegetable soup
Clear, light, gentle. I look upon this as something for those moments when you want a bowl of soup that is quietly sustaining rather than filling. A full-flavoured chicken stock is essential, as is a generous hand with the seasoning. I would leave the addition of soy sauce to individual diners. Just a little for me, please, as I find it all too easily dominates everything in its path.
Serves 4
sugar snap peas or shelled peas 150g
chicken stock 750ml
white miso paste 4 tbsp
spring onions 3
pak choi 125g
enoki mushrooms 100g
Thai basil small bunch
lime 1
dried bonito flakes 4 tbsp
light soy sauce
Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Introduce the sugar snaps or shelled peas, let them boil for two minutes, then lift them out with a draining spoon and drop them into a bowl of cold water.
Warm the chicken stock and water in a large saucepan. When the stock is hot, add the miso paste, stirring until it has dissolved. The stock should be very hot, but not boiling. Finely slice the spring onions and add half to the stock, along with the pak choi. Remove and discard the roots from the enoki mushrooms, then add to the stock.
Tear up the basil leaves. Juice the lime. Divide the broth between four bowls. Add the remaining spring onions, lime juice and basil. Place a small handful of bonito flakes on top of each bowl. Add soy sauce to taste.
Aubergine, coriander and lemongrass soup
As much a curry as a soup, this is substantial enough to be a main dish. The paste, for which you need about half in the recipe below, will retain its freshness, covered with a little oil and plastic film and stored in the fridge for several days.
Serves 4
For the spice paste:
chillies 3 small, hot
garlic 3 cloves
ginger a small lump, about 40g
lemongrass 3 plump stalks
coriander seeds 8
coriander leaves 75g
ground turmeric 1 tsp
vegetable oil 3 tbsp
For the soup:
vegetable oil for frying
small aubergines 400g
chicken breasts 2
stock chicken or vegetable, 500ml
coconut milk 400ml
noodles 100g
Thai fish sauce 2 tbsp
lime 1, juiced
mint leaves a handful
Thai basil leaves a small handful
Remove the aubergine stalks and discard. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, score the cut sides of the aubergines in a lattice pattern to allow the heat to penetrate, then fry on both sides until soft and golden. Set aside.
Slice each chicken breast into three long pieces, lightly season, then fry in the empty aubergine pan for 3 or 4 minutes until golden. Set aside.
For the paste, remove the stalks from the chillies. Peel the garlic and ginger, and place in the bowl of a food processor, together with the chillies. Discard the tough root end and outer leaves of the lemongrass. Roughly chop the inner leaves and add to the other ingredients in the bowl. Add the coriander seeds and leaves and the ground turmeric.
Process the spices, herbs and aromatics to a thick paste, adding as much of the oil as you need. Scrape the paste into a small bowl using a spatula. Put half the paste into a saucepan. Fry over a moderate heat for two minutes, stirring continually.
Pour in the stock and the coconut milk. Bring to the boil. Cook the noodles for 1 or 2 minutes in boiling water, then drain. (I sometimes put them in a heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over them, then let them soak for 1 or 2 minutes.)
Add the aubergines, chicken and fish sauce to the soup. Taste, adding more fish sauce if you wish, then let the soup simmer for five minutes. Mix in the lime juice then ladle the soup into bowls before adding the drained noodles, mint and the Thai basil leaves, torn or crushed to release their scent.
Email Nigel at nigel.slater@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @NigelSlater
