Soupy-licious

Thai beef stew with lemongrass and noodles
Ingredients:
4 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 lime leaves, chopped
2 tbsp chopped peeled ginger
2 red Thai chillies with seeds, sliced
500g boneless beef chuck, cut into 2" pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 whole star anise pods
1 cinnamon stick
½ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
4 medium shallots, quartered 
2 pieces carrots, peeled, cut into 2" lengths
4 scallions, cut into 1" lengths, plus more for serving
1 pack rice noodles
Lime wedges (for serving)

Method:
Blend lemongrass, garlic, lime leaves, ginger, and 2 chillies in a food processor until a fine paste forms. Season beef with salt and pepper; heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook beef, turning occasionally, until brown, 10-15 minutes, transfer to a plate. Cook lemongrass paste in same pot, stirring often, until lemongrass is beginning to soften. Add star anise, cinnamon, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, beef with any juices, and 10 cups water. 

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, skimming occasionally, until beef is tender and the liquid is slightly thickened, 2½-3 hours. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degree. Toast coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing occasionally, until golden around the edges, about 5 minutes, set aside. Add shallots and carrots to stew and cook, until vegetables are soft and beef is falling apart, 35-45 minutes. Mix in scallions. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package direction. Divide noodles among bowls and ladle stew over, top with toasted coconut and more scallions. Serve with lime wedges.

Chicken noodle soup

Ingredients:
250g chicken breast
800ml chicken stock
1 cup wheat noodles
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp sweet corn
2-3 mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 spring onions, shredded
2 tsp soy sauce, plus extra for serving
Mint or basil leaves and a little shredded chilli, to serve
½  tsp kosher salt
10 whole black pepper corn

Method:
Pour the stock into a pan and add chicken, ginger, garlic and pepper corn. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken to a board and shred into bite-size pieces using a couple of forks. Return the chicken to the stock with the noodles, corn, mushrooms, kosher salt, half of the spring onions and the soy sauce. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are tender. Ladle into two bowls and scatter over the remaining spring onions, herbs and chilli shreds if using. Serve with extra soy sauce for sprinkling.

Fish and noodle soup
Ingredients:
3 cups fish stock
400g firm white fish, cut into small pieces
200g noodles
100gm baby spinach
2 tsp soy sauce
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, cut into thin sticks
200g mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, grated
½ tsp black pepper powder

Method:
Place stock, 3 cups water and soy sauce in a large pan. Bring to boil over medium heat. Add celery, zucchini, mushrooms, ginger, garlic and noodles, simmer, partially covered, for 5 minutes. Add fish and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until fish is just cooked through. Add spinach, cook, stirring until leaves are wilted. Season with pepper. Prepare to serve.

Oriental shrimp noodle soup
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
12 fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper
1 cup peeled, diagonally sliced carrot
1 cup diagonally sliced celery
2 cups show peas
½ packet rice noodles
2 tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Method:
In a large saucepan over medium heat cook onion, garlic ginger and crushed red pepper for 2 minutes. Pour in broth, carrots and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir and add snow peas and shrimp, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Break noodles into 2 inch pieces and stir in to soup, cover and cook for 3 minutes more, until vegetables are tender and shrimp is pink. Stir in soy sauce and pepper and serve.

Malaysian spiced noodles with tofu
Ingredients:
For the spice paste -
25 gm fresh ginger
2 lemongrass stalks
2 red chilli
3 shallots, chopped
1 garlic clove
1 tsp turmeric powder
Pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
For the sauce
400 ml coconut milk
250 ml vegetable stock
For the noodles -Vegetable oil, for deep frying, plus 1 tbsp for frying
150g fresh tofu, cut into cube
20 oyster mushrooms, finely sliced
I packet boiled wheat noodles
To serve -
Fresh coriander leaves
Lime wedges
Crushed peanut

Method:
For the spice paste, place all of the spice paste ingredients, except the oil, into a food processor and blend to a pulp. With the motor still running, gradually add the oil and continue to blend until you get a loose paste. For the sauce, place a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spice paste and fry gently for 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk and vegetable  stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a further five minutes. For the noodles, heat oil in a deep pan. Add the tofu cubes and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto kitchen paper. Heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a clean frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oyster mushrooms and fry for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the sauce. Add the deep-fried tofu and boiled noodles to the sauce and stir to combine. To serve, spoon to the curry into serving bowls and garnish each with fresh coriander, lime wedges and crushed peanuts, to taste.

Photo: Collected