COOKING IN/Hugo Arnold:Discover joy and satisfaction in a bowl.
I didn't mean to inhale with quite so much gusto, but it was hard to resist. The deep, wide bowl held a richly perfumed broth containing ginger, garlic, tamarind and turmeric, among other things. Nestled in the grey noodles were slices of chicken. Had I really reached heaven? Not quite, perhaps, but soup is joy and satisfaction in a bowl.
Besides clear broths from Asia, what about spiced pulse soups from India, or more delicate, herbed offerings from north Africa and southern Spain? Closer to home, mushrooms, pumpkins, carrots and leeks all make warming autumn soups.
Japanese chefs are judged on their ability to make dashi, a light broth that needs to both satisfy and refresh. We may not be quite so drastic in our approach, but stock is pretty crucial to a good soup. And the good news is that, although once all stock cubes tasted terrible, brands such as Kallo and Marigold produce good base flavours that can easily be refreshed after a brief simmering with a few vegetables, parsley stalks and, if you're lucky, even some chicken wings.
Recipes serve four
TOMATO AND TAMARIND SOUP WITH MINTED YOGURT
- 800g tomatoes (or you can use 2 400g tins)
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 3cm ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- bunch coriander, leaves picked, stems finely chopped
- 800ml chicken stock
- 6 tbsp yogurt
- bunch mint, leaves picked
Drop the tomatoes into a saucepan of boiling water for 15 seconds. Remove, plunge into cold water, drain, then remove skins. Core and roughly chop. (If you are using tinned tomatoes you can skip this.)
Heat the vegetable oil, add the garlic, cook for one minute, then add the ginger and chilli. Cook for one minute, then add the mustard and cumin seeds. Next add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Add the tamarind, sugar, turmeric, chopped coriander stems and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and puree. Stir the mint into the yogurt and set aside. Reheat the soup, ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of the yogurt on top.
CHICKEN, WATERCRESS AND SOBA NOODLE BROTH
- 350g soba noodles
- 2 chicken breasts vegetable oil
- 10g dried porcini
- 1l chicken stock
- 20g miso paste
- large handful watercress
- bunch scallions, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 red chilli, peeled and finely sliced
- large handful bean sprouts
Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and refresh under cold water, then set aside. Lightly oil the chicken breasts, season with salt and pepper and saute for six to eight minutes, turning two or three times, or until cooked. Set aside. Add the porcini and stock to the pan you have cooked the chicken in. Bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso paste so it dissolves. Slice the chicken and return to the stock, along with the noodles. Ladle into four bowls and top with the watercress, scallions, chilli and bean sprouts. Lightly toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan, then scatter them over the top.