Thai/Japanese/Oriental Noodle Soup - Marie Murphy

If you can get to a Wing Yip, (the big Chinese supermarket), they do

fantastic deals on seafood.. tiger prawns, green lipped mussels,

squid etc. etc. Even their pak choi is incredibly cheap for a

large bunch!

Each soup is made individually.

Into a nice china soupbowl, (also good price at Wing Yip)

put a teaspoon of thai curry paste (red or green)

and a sachet or large spoonful of miso.

Meanwhile, as you cook your noodles gently in a bit

of hot water, steam some mussels, prawns or

whatever takes your fancy on top in a little bamboo

basket (Wing Yip again!) and chop some chinese

leaves/ pak choi, spring onions, ginger,

red peppers if you wish, nice and fine.

Boil a kettle of hot water, drain the noodles,

pour water into each bowl and quickly mix

the paste and miso, add a tong-full of noodles

then the other ingredients, including the seafood

(you can just have veg if you wish),

into the dish, with a little fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce

and chopped coriander, stir altogether and taste the

broth to suit your palate, I usually also

add chilli oil - and serve straight away.

Orgasmic!!!!!

Cold Cherry Soup (Meggyleves) - Arnie Somogyi

Ingredients:
500g Morello cherries - available in jars from most supermarkets
A bottle of Riesling wine
60g sugar
A piece of cinnamon stick
600 ml of cream - half soured, half whipping
The rind from one lemon and the juice from two
A very large brandy (not optional)
A large Palinka (fruit brandy - plum, peach etc.....)

Method:
Pour the Palinka into a glass and knock it back in one go.

Start cooking.

Put the cherries in a pan.
Add the wine, sugar, cinnamon, lemon rind and juice.
Slowly bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
Strain into a clean pan and slowly bring to the boil again.
While you are waiting, liquidise some of the strained cherries.
When the soup is boiling add the cherries - whole and pureed.
Quickly remove the pan from the stove and cool.
Stir in the brandy.
Put the cream into a large serving bowl.
Stir in the soup.

Serve - well chilled!

Mercimek Corbasi (Turkish Red Lentil Soup) - Steve Rose

Ingredients:
75 grams red lentils, washed thoroughly
1 litre stock, or water
1 tablespoon flour
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, finely sliced
1 tablespoon butter
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Lightly saute onion in butter.
Add flour & lightly brown.
Add water/stock, lentils & carrot pieces. Cook until carrot & lentils soften.
When cooked, remove from heat & place soup mixture through a sieve or blender.
Return to heat & allow to come to a boil.
Fresh finely cut coriander or dried mint, plus some lemon juice squeezed on top on the table can be added at the end for that authentic "Green Lanes Turkish Restaurant" flavour.