Spicy Soup

If every time you have a roast chicken, or even casserole one in pieces, you cover the bones afterwards with water and flavourings for stock, say an onion unpeeled, a carrot or two, a stick of celery if you have it, a bay leaf, a few peppercorns and teaspoon of salt, simmer for 2 hours or so, effortlessly you will build up a store in the freezer to improve soups and risottos to name but two uses of many. If you haven't got an enormous chest freezer like ours, you will want to boil the resulting liquid down, once you have strained off the onion etc, so that it reduces and takes up less space.Or use the stock straight away.

One really good use of a well flavoured couple of pints of homemade chicken stock is an easy, south east asian inspired soup. This is not as fancy as some recipes for this kind of soup but it is quick and yum.

Spicy Soup

2 pints approx good chicken stock
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 red chilli finely chopped
A good thumb length of fresh ginger grated
A teaspoon approx Thai fish sauce
2/3 carrots sliced into thin batons
About 3 oz or so mushrooms sliced
A couple of spring onions very finely shredded
 A nest of fine dried noodles
A handful of fresh chopped coriander

1. Bring stock up to the boil
2. Add the ginger, garlic, chilli and fish sauce and let it simmer a few minutes. Taste and adjust for saltiness and heat - add a tiny sprinkle of sugar if you think it will be good.
3. Now put in the carrots first to cook, let them simmer 5 mins or so, add the sliced mushrooms for another 3/4 mins and then put in your onions and noodles for 2 mins at the most, stirring well.
4. Add the coriander before serving.

Of course you could add other veg, and shredded chicken if there is some, but just as it is will do!