This is a great soup, light and fresh from the lemongrass but really substantial and filling as well. It goes perfectly with some toasted pitta. One of the things I love most about this soup is that the base freezes really well, so you can make a batch, freeze it before you add the rice noodles and smoked haddock, and enjoy it over the weeks to come.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
2 white onions, chopped
2 red peppers, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (or more if you like it hot)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 fish stock cube, crumbled
4 lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk (give it a bash with the blunt end of your knife)
1 lime, cut in half
A glug of fish sauce
A glug of soy sauce
3 spring onions, sliced
150g rice noodles
4 small smoked haddock fillets
400ml tin coconut milk
A small handful of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
Method
1. Put a large, deep pan or wok over a medium heat and add the oil, onions, red pepper, garlic, ginger, chilli, curry paste and tomato puree, then turn the heat to low and cook until the onions have softened. This should take about 10–15 min.
2. Crumble in the fish stock cube and add the lime leaves, lemongrass, lime halves, fish sauce, soy sauce and most of the spring onions (leave some for a garnish). Give it a hefty grind of black pepper and cook for another 5 min to release the flavours.
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3. Pour about 1.5 litres of boiling water into the pan and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Increase the heat to medium. Add the rice noodles, cover and cook for a couple of minutes until the noodles are just slightly softened.
4. Check the smoked haddock fillets for bones and then add them, whole, to the pot along with the coconut milk and coriander. Simmer until the fish is cooked and the noodles are tender.
5. Finish off with the remaining chopped spring onions.
Taken from The Seafood Shack by Fenella Renwick and Kirsty Scobie (Kitchen Press £20). Buy from timesbookshop.co.uk. Discount for Times+ members.
