Weekend lunch: quick noodle soup

On the weekends I love to make this quick noodle soup for my lunch, after coming home from the fruit and vegetable shopping. Usually I buy a bunch of bok choy or gai larn to make it with, and there is usually fresh ginger, chillies and garlic at home. The other indispensable ingredient is dried shiitake mushrooms. The pre-sliced ones are very convenient. Even though the soup is a conglomerate of a few Asian cuisines, it still has that beautifully soothing flavour and is packed full of healthy vegetables. My ultimate comfort food.

• Dried egg noodles, rice noodles, soba, green tea or other Asian noodles (spaghetti at a pinch)


• Dried shiitake mushrooms


• Fresh Asian greens, Thai basil, coriander, snow peas, snake beans, etc.


• Fresh ginger, garlic and chili


• Chicken or beef stock powder


• Kecap manis (thick, sweet soy sauce)


• Sesame oil (or raw sesame seeds, about a tablespoonful)


• Fish sauce

Slice up the ginger, garlic and chili to your liking and add to a small saucepan with some peanut or sesame oil. If you are using them, pop in the seeds. Fry this lot until lightly browned (let the seeds become fairly golden brown.) Pour on about 2 cups of water, and add a handful of dried shiitake mushroom slices. Also add a spoonful of stock powder, a dollop of kecap manis and a squirt of fish sauce. Bring to the boil, and throw in your noodles. Meanwhile, slice and rinse your greens and place them in a deep noodle bowl. As soon as your noodles are done, pour the boiling mixture over the greens in the bowl. Get out your chopsticks...!