Asian Vegetable Broth

This simple broth takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. Should feed two adults. Double up the recipe for more people or leftovers for lunch the next day. It's packed full of nutrients and the ginger kick is warming for a chilly winters' eve.

You can pick up most of these ingredients from our Asian Grocer, Minh Phat.

What you'll need...

• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5cm piece of ginger
• 200 g mixed Asian greens , such as baby pak choi, choy sum, Chinese cabbage
• 2 spring onions
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 5 sprigs of fresh Thai basil
• 1 stick of lemongrass
• 2 star anise
• 800 ml clear organic vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce, (optional)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 lime

How to pull it altogether...

Peel and crush the garlic, then peel and roughly chop the ginger. Trim the greens, finely shredding the cabbage, if using. Trim and finely slice the spring onions and chilli. Pick the herbs.

Bash the lemongrass on a chopping board with a rolling pin until it breaks open, then add to a large saucepan along with the garlic, ginger and star anise.

Place the pan over a high heat, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring it just to the boil, then turn down very low and gently simmer for 30 minutes.

A couple of minutes before it’s cooked, throw in your Asian veggies and gently cook until they are wilted but still crunchy.

Serve the broth in deep bowls seasoned with fish sauce (if using) and soy sauce, sprinkle with the herbs, spring onion and chilli, then serve with wedges of lime.

Yummo!

[photo credit and recipe inspo from Jamie Oliver]