Speedy chicken noodle soup

Ingredients

• 100 g medium rice noodles
• 800 ml chicken stock
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed or finely grated
• 4 thick slices of unpeeled root ginger (2–3mm each)
• 300 g chicken breast or thigh meat, very thinly sliced
• 2–3 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
• juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
• 4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced at an angle
• 4 tblsp roughly chopped coriander

Method

1. Place the rice noodles in a bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to soak for 4–5 minutes, or according to the instructions on the packet, until softened.
2. While they are soaking, place the stock in a saucepan with the garlic and ginger. Bring to the boil, then add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes until the chicken is opaque. Add the fish sauce and lime juice to taste, then add in the spring onions and coriander.
3. Drain the noodles and divide between four warmed bowls, top with the soup and serve.
4. Variation; Five-minute prawn noodle soup:
5. Make as above, substituting the chicken with the same weight of finely sliced, raw, peeled tiger prawns.