Soups to conquer: Chicken Noodle Soup 

I call this dish my ‘bowl of hugs’ as it’s so comforting. It’s a foolproof recipe that you can make without too much effort when you get home from work. You can swap the pak choi with lots of other greens, such as kale, spinach, chard or even frozen peas.

SERVES 4

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 lemongrass stalk, thinly sliced

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 celery stick, thinly sliced

500ml hot, good quality chicken stock (see tip on page 33)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 7.5cm strips

250g egg noodles

200g pak choi, sliced

1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Place a saucepan or casserole over a low-medium heat with the oil. Stir in the garlic, ginger, spring onions, lemongrass, chilli and celery, cover and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring after a minute. Remove the lid, stir and pour in the hot chicken stock. Stir in the chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the noodles and pak choi and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and sprinkle the fresh coriander on top.