Spicy Asian Mushroom Soup

Spicy Asian Mushroom Soup

Serves 4

Points for the whole recipe ½ pt both plans

Mushrooms (250g button or cep, 250g shitake, oyster, or straw)
4 shallots
6 spring onions
2 celery stalks
1 hot red chilli
3-5 cloves of garlic
thumb of ginger
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional, 1/2 point)
2 pints stock, made from stock cubes
1 small tin water chestnuts
1 small tin bamboo shoots
100g bean sprouts

Wash and chop mushrooms.

Slice celery, shallots, spring onion, chilli and garlic.

Slice ginger into very thin sticks, or crush it to release juices.

Add above to large pot with soy sauce, sesame oil and stock.

Add a good few twists of freshly ground black pepper.

Bring to the boil, then lower heat and slowly simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Taste for seasoning, and add more pepper or salt as needed.

Drain and rinse water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Add at the last minute, along with bean sprouts, for crunch.

This makes A LOT of soup, but it freezes well. If you add the sesame oil, it adds a half a point, but the huge amount of soup offsets this.

Use whatever mushrooms you can, but I like to use half oridnary buton mushrooms (because they are cheap), and half exotic mushrooms (they add more flavour). You can also use dried mushrooms - soak them in hot water, then use the liquid in the soup.

Most importantly, experiment! Use what you like. This type of soup is very forgiving.

The mushroom broth is meaty, deep, dark and immensely satisfying. Enjoy on a cold day with a soft white roll with butter or low-fat spread.