Quick, Easy, Hot and Sour Soup

This vegan recipe is a store cupboard special – made almost entirely from things I have knocking about in my cupboard. It is so quick and easy to make and its spicy freshness makes it a perfect lunch dish.

A Sichuan classic, hot and sour soup can now be found on Chinese restaurant menus across the UK. The combination of heat from chilli oil and acidity from Chinkiang vinegar is compelling and addictive, while the calming, light flavour and silky texture of the tofu provides balance. I find many soups boring and regularly lose interest before I reach the bottom of the bowl. I often have second helpings of this one.

Hot and Sour Soup

1 pack of silken tofu. This tofu does not have to be kept in the fridge and has a long shelf life. It is always a good idea to have a packet or two in the cupboard.

1 tbsp high quality vegetable stock mixed with 600ml boiling water. I use this one… If you have fresh vegetable stock (or chicken if you are not vegetarian) feel free to use 600ml fresh stock instead.

Green part of a spring onion, chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander (optional)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/4 tsp ground pepper (I use black, but I think it is more correct to use white)

2 tsp vegetable oil

Large pinch of salt

2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp cold water

3 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp chilli oil (I use laoganma)

1/4 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

These quantities will produce 2 big bowls of soup (or 4 small ones)

Drain the tofu and place in a bowl. Use a fork to crush it slightly so it begins to fray into pieces.

Place the stock, pepper, salt and vegetable oil in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cornflour mixture to the pan, stirring slowly. This will thicken the texture of the broth and help stop the tofu from sinking to the bottom. Carefully place the tofu into the pan and heat gently until warmed up. Add herbs, if using.

Switch off the heat and season with the vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Divide the soup among your serving bowls, making sure the tofu is evenly distributed. Carefully dot the chilli oil over the surface of the soup and sprinkle with the spring onion greens.

Indulgent Indo-Chinese Classic: Kung Pao Potato. Vegan, but Vicious

Here is a cheap recipe that tastes expensive – ideal if you are tightening the belt a little before a Christmas spending spree. This Indo-Chinese classic is inspired by Kung Pao Chicken – a popular Chinese dish that features cubes of chicken, dried chillies and peanuts.

Indo-Chinese cuisine evolved within the Chinese community of Kolkata, India. It combines local, Indian ingredients with Chinese cooking techniques.

Potato dishes are eaten throughout Greater China, – spicy mash can be found in Yunnan province; shredded, stir fried potatoes come in spicy, sour, peppery and oniony flavours and are popular across the North. This recipe is richer and more filling. It uses cubes of shallow fried potato to deliver a crispy texture, prized in Indo-Chinese cooking, The potatoes are teamed with peanuts, then given a quick bath in a sweet and spicy sauce. It is a powerful dish – heat comes from three different and equally vicious sources: dried chillies, fresh green chilli and chilli sauce.

Although it sounds fancy – the ingredients for this recipe are available in national supermarkets and it is cheaper to make than Kung Pao Chicken. The sauce features tomato ketchup, widely used in Indo-Chinese cuisine for its sweet and acidic properties.

I have dialled down the heat from the “correct” recipe as it was very, very spicy and intense. If you can take a lot of heat, swap the cooking oil for chilli oil and double the amount of dried chilli flakes.

Kung Pao Potato is a great dish for cold weather and one I like to serve in between Christmas and New Year – when I crave something with a bit of a kick. Fully vegan, but not a “health food” – don’t tighten those belts too much…

Vicious Vegan Potatoes

1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks

Vegetable oil for shallow frying

1/2 white onion, chopped

4 (yes, you heard me correctly) large cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 inch of ginger, peeled and finely chopped

the green parts of two spring onions, chopped

150g salted peanuts

2 tbsp vegetable oil. Substitute chilli oil for a more “correct” version

1 heaped teaspoon of chilli flakes OR 3 dried chillies, snipped into rings

1/2 fresh green chilli, chopped

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp tomato ketchup

a few drops chilli sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt (optional – I use it, but I am a salt monster)

1tsp cornflour mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp water

1 cup boiling water or vegetable stock

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the potato chunks and cook until they can be pierced with a knife. You want them slightly underdone as they are going to be shallow fried.

Drain the potatoes. Put one inch of cooking oil into a wok and shallow fry the potatoes until golden, tuning once, Remove the potatoes, drain on kitchen paper and discard the oil.

Place two tablespoons of fresh oil (or chilli oil, if using) into the wok and heat gently. Add the dried chillies and cook for two minutes. Now add the white onion and cook for one minute. Add the ginger and garlic, stir well until you can smell their fragrance.

Mix the soy sauce, ketchup and chilli sauce together. Pour it into the wok and combine with the other ingredients. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and let them dissolve. Add the cup of water/stock and cook for one minute, before adding the cornflour paste. Stir and wait for the sauce to thicken and become glossy.

Place the peanuts into the sauce along with the fried potato cubes. once they are heated through and coated with the sauce, remove to a serving dish and scatter with the spring onion greens and green chillies. Eat immediately – the potatoes will become soggy if left.