Ingredients (Serve 6)

• 350 g boneless chicken
• 350 g leeks
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1.2 liters chicken stock
• 1 bouquet garni sachet
• 8 pitted prunes, halved
• salt and white pepper
• cooked rice and dice red bell peppers (optional)

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken and leeks into 2.5 cm pieces.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the chicken and leeks and fry for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the chicken stock and bouquet garni sachet to the mixture in the pan, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Bring the soup to the boil and simmer over a gentle heat for 45 minutes.
5. Add the pitted prunes with some cooked rice and dices bell peppers (if using), and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni sachet and discard. Pour the soup into warm tureen or individual bowls and serve.

“Instead of the bouquet garni sachet, you can use a bunch of fresh herbs, tied together with strings. Choose herbs such as parsley, thyme and rosemary.”

Thai cuisine can be spicy but tasty at the same time. Tamarind is one of the ingredients that gives Thai cuisine its special sweet and sour flavor. This hot and sour mushroom soup is very easy to make and is excellent for a starter meal.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 4 red Thai chilli, very finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2.5 cm piece Thai ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
• 4 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp palm sugar or caster sugar
• 8 lime leaves, roughly torn
• 1.2 liters vegetable stock
• 100 g carrots, very thinly sliced
• 225 g button mushrooms, halved
• 350 g shredded white cabbage
• 100 g fine green beans, halved
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• 100 g cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Place the tamarind paste, chilli, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves and stock in a large preheated wok. Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Reduce the heat and add the carrots, mushrooms, cabbage and green beans. Leave the soup to simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
3. Stir the coriander and cherry tomatoes into the mixture in the wok and heat through for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the soup to warm bowls and serve hot.

“Instead of the white cabbage, try using Chinese leaves for a sweeter flavor. Add the Chinese leaves with the coriander and cherry tomatoes in step 3.”

Fish is low in fat, high in protein and an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. Eating one or two serves of fish weekly can reduce the risk of a range of diseases, from childhood asthma to prostate cancer. Chilli fish soup makes an excellent starter.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 15 g Chinese dried mushrooms
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 100 g mangetout
• 100 g bamboo shoots
• 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1.2 liters fish or vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander
• 450 g cod fillet, skinned and cubed

1. Place the mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Drain the mushrooms thoroughly. Using a sharp knife, roughly chop the mushrooms.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a preheated wok. Add the onion to the wok and stir fry for 5 minutes, or until softened.
3. Add the mangetout, bamboo shoots, chilli sauce, stock and soy sauce to the wok and bring to the boil.
4. Add coriander and cubed fish to the wok. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
5. Transfer the soup to warm bowls, garnish with extra coriander if wished and serve hot.

“There are many different varieties of dried mushrooms, but shiitake are best. Cod is used in this recipe as it is a meaty white fish. For real luxury, use monkfish tail instead.”