Name: Quick red curry and noodle soup
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 tbsp coconut oil; 2 tbsp good quality red curry paste; 1 onion,diced; 2 tbsp very finely chopped lemongrass,white part only; 2 x 400ml cans coconut milk; 500ml chicken stock; 2 tbsp fish sauce (plus more to taste); 1 tbsp honey; juice of 1 lime (plus more to taste)

Any noodles work in this speedy red-curry soup.Katrina Meynink

easyTime:<30 minsServes:4

This is the most glorious throw-it-in-and-call-it-dinner slurpy,soupy goodness. Add a few crunchy peanuts and the tang of lime and this is nothing short of spectacular. I now eat it on repeat. While I love the texture the noodles provide,you can ditch them entirely if all you crave is soup without the bother of accoutrements.

Talking of noodles,this is the soup that wants whatever you have lurking in the pantry. Udon,soba,ramen,egg noodles,your kids’ Maggi 2-minute noodle packs – all will work just fine. It’s a noodle judgment-free zone.

Ingredients

1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp good quality red curry paste
1 onion,diced
2 tbsp very finely chopped lemongrass,white part only
2 x 400ml cans coconut milk
500ml chicken stock
2 tbsp fish sauce (plus more to taste)
1 tbsp honey
juice of 1 lime (plus more to taste)

To serve

150-200g noodles from your pantry
4 tbsp crispy fried shallots
4 tbsp roughly chopped salted and roasted peanuts
coriander leaves
lime wedges

Method

Step1
Add the oil,onion and the curry paste to a high-sided frying pan over low-medium heat. Cook until the onion is translucent,and the curry paste looks to have split − it should be very fragrant.
Step2
Add the lemongrass and cook for another minute before adding the coconut milk and chicken stock. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the soup has reduced and thickened a little.
Step3
Taste and season with fish sauce,honey and lime juice – you want a balance of heat,salt,sweet and tang. Add the noodles and cook directly in the soup for the time specified on the packet.
Step4
Use tongs to divide the noodles among bowls,then ladle over the soup. Top each bowl as desired with noodles,coriander,peanuts,crunchy shallots and wedges of lime,and serve.