Hot & sour bok choy, chicken & noodle soup

Prep 20 mins | Cook 20 mins | Serves 4

6 cups chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lemongrass stems, trimmed, crushed, roughly chopped
3 small bird’s eye red chillies, halved lengthways, deseeded and finely sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed and finely sliced
400g chicken breast fillets, halved lengthways
150g dried rice noodles
1 tbs fish sauce
1 tsp palm or brown sugar
2 tbs lime juice
300g baby bok choy, leaves separated and roughly chopped
½ cup bean sprouts, trimmed
1 cup coriander and mint leaves, to serve
lime wedges and extra sliced small red chilli, to serve

Step 1 Bring stock to the boil in a medium saucepan (lid on) over high heat. Add garlic, lemongrass, three-quarters of the chillies and half the kaffir limes leaves. Cover and boil for 3 minutes for flavours to develop. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken and simmer, partially covered and turning chicken occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Set stock aside.

Step 2 Meanwhile, cook rice noodles according to packet directions. Drain and set aside. Shred chicken. Set chicken aside.

Step 3 Strain stock mixture into a large heatproof jug or bowl (discard the flavourings). Return strained stock to the saucepan. Cover and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Add fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and remaining chillies to soup. Stir in bok choy and cook until just wilted.

Step 4 Divide noodles and shredded chicken among serving bowls. Ladle over the boiling chicken broth. Top with coriander and mint leaves and remaining shredded kaffir lime leaves. Serve with lime wedges and extra sliced red chilli.

Good for you ... Bok choy
Bok choy

Bok choy is a good source of vitamin C. This vitamin helps the normal functioning of the body’s immune system.

Bok choy provides us with some calcium (important for strong bones) and also iron (used to make red blood cells)

The darker leaves of bok choy provide beta carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A. This vitamin helps the body’s immune system defend itself against infection and is also important for normal vision.

Bok choy is also a source of the folate, a B vitamin needed for normal formation of blood cells as well as growth and development in children.