Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup

🥘 Ingredients

• sunflower oil 1 tbsp
• onions 3
• carrots 3
• celery stalks 6
• garlic cloves 6
• fresh root ginger 75 g
• water
• lemongrass stalks 3
• prunes 12
• red chillies 3
• star anise 6
• tamari soy sauce 2 tbsp
• lime leaves 6
• coriander root 30 g
• tamarind paste 2 tbsp
• enoki mushrooms 150 g
• white mushrooms 150 g
• buna-shimeji mushrooms 150 g
• lime juice 65 ml
• coriander leaves 20 g
• Thai basil leaves 20 g
• bean sprouts 160 g
• green beans 160 g
• salt 1 ½ tsp
• toasted sesame oil

1. 1

   Begin by heating the sunflower oil in a large saucepan and add the onions , carrots , celery stalks , garlic cloves and fresh root ginger . Cook on a high heat for about 5 minutes until the edges begin to colour. Pour in 2.25 litres of water and add the lemongrass stalks , prunes , red chillies , star anise , tamari soy sauce , lime leaves and coriander root . Bring to the boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 45 minutes .
2. 2

   Strain the stock and return to the pan. You can discard the vegetables, though I love eating the carrot and celery. Bring the stock back to a very low simmer, add the tamarind paste , followed by the enoki mushrooms and white mushrooms and cook for 1 minute . Then add the remaining ingredients — buna-shimeji mushrooms , lime juice , coriander leaves , Thai basil leaves , bean sprouts , and green beans — apart from the sesame oil, along with salt , and allow to heat through for a further minute. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with a little drizzle of toasted sesame oil , no more than a few drops in each bowl.