Recipes Of The Month: Lai Su!

These iconic Chinese soups are packed with ingredients – and flavour – and they’re surprisingly easy to make

HOT AND SPICY SOUP

Serves 6

2 fresh red chillies, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 thumb-sized piece of ginger

250g shiitake mushrooms, sliced fine

225g bamboo shoots, sliced fine

3tbsp soya sauce

4tbsp rice wine vinegar

1tsp runny honey

1.5l hot vegetable stock

1 egg white, lightly beaten

150g firm tofu, cubed

2 spring onions, sliced fine

½ bunch of chives, chopped

Blitz the chillies, garlic and ginger with a pinch of salt to a rough paste. Heat a lug of oil in a large wok, fry the mushrooms for 4 minutes. Stir in the chilli paste and bamboo shoots and fry for a further minute. Meanwhile, mix together the soya sauce, vinegar, honey and a good pinch of white pepper. Stir the mixture into the pan and cook for a minute, then pour in the hot stock and bring gently to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Once reduced, remove the soup from the heat. Using a chopstick, stir the soup in a clockwise direction until you get a little whirlpool, then slowly add the beaten egg white, stirring continuously to form thin ribbons. Stir in the tofu and return to the heat for 1 minute to warm through. Season to taste with soya sauce and vinegar, then serve immediately with the spring onions and chives scattered on top.

CRAB AND SWEETCORN SOUP

Serves 4 1.2l chicken stock 2 corncobs 225g fresh white crabmeat 5tsp cornflour ¼tsp root ginger, finely chopped 2 spring onions, shredded 1tbsp light soya sauce 1tbsp rice wine 1 egg white, lightly beaten Bring the stock to the boil. Meanwhile, stand the corncobs up on a board and slice away the kernels. Add the corn to the stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Check over the crabmeat for small pieces of shell, keeping the meat in the largest pieces possible. Mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little cold water, stir it into the soup and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the crabmeat, ginger, spring onions, soya sauce and rice wine. Season to taste and simmer for 1 minute. Using a chopstick, stir the soup in a clockwise direction until you get a little whirlpool, then slowly add the beaten egg white, stirring continuously to form thin ribbons. Simmer for 30 seconds and serve immediately.