Recipe of the week: hot and sour soup

This is a great quick-fix supper, says Matt Tebbutt, as even if you don’t have the ingredients at home already, they are easily found. The chicken can be substituted for leftover ham or Sunday’s roast pork. Delicious and comforting.

Serves four people

Ingredients

For the broth:

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• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thin strips
• 6 small shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped root ginger
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 medium free-range egg, beaten
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chilli oil
• 1-2 tbsp black vinegar or rice wine vinegar

To garnish:

• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Method

• Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and heat the vegetable oil. Add the chicken strips and cook until golden brown, about 4-5mins. Remove, cover and keep warm.
• Add the mushrooms, garlic and ginger to the hot pan and cook, stirring, for 2-3mins. Pour in the stock and cook for 10-15mins.
• In a bowl, whisk the egg, sesame oil, soy sauce, chilli oil and vinegar.
• Tip the egg mixture into the broth while it’s still warm, mixing constantly. It doesn’t look great at this stage but stick with it! Add the cooked chicken and let it warm through. To serve, ladle the broth into warmed bowls and garnish with the spring onions, red chilli and a drop or two of sesame oil.

Taken from Weekend: Eating at Home – From Long Lazy Lunches to Fast Family Fixes by Matt Tebbutt, published by Quadrille at £22. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £17.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.