The soup is restorative and warming as well as lifting and enlivening, making it perfect to see off a cold, a chill in the air from the change of season or just to eat for a brightening lunch or supper. Such is my love for the gentle citrus notes of this broth, I am pretty sure I could eat this soup every day. I keep this very simple, with just noodles, clean tofu and broth, but if you like you could add some more veg: shredded greens, sugar snaps and broccoli would all work well.
Put 2 litres of water into a pan and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, add the lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, shallots and coriander seeds. Bring to the boil again, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. You can cook it for a bit longer if you’d like a really intense flavour.
Strain the soup, using a large sieve over a big mixing bowl and a spoon to push down on the aromatics to get maximum flavour from them, then tip the liquid back into the saucepan.
Next add the juice of the oranges and the lemon, watching out for pips, and stir in the miso and a little salt, to taste. The broth will keep like this for 4–5 days and freezes well.
When you are ready to eat, warm your broth. Pile your noodles into bowls, topping with the herbs and tofu. Ladle the citrus broth over and serve steaming.
An essential addition to every cook’s bookshelf, The Modern Cook’s Year will show you how to make the most of seasonal produce, using simple, hugely inventive flavours and ingredients. Divided into six seasons, the cookbook contains over 200 delicious vegetarian recipes interspersed with tips on everything from seasonal music playlists to flowers to look out for in each month of the year.
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