Thai-Inspired Chicken Noodle Broth

This is a flavour-packed, healthy noodle soup which is easy to cook and great for using up any leftover cooked chicken you may have.  Saying that, the smallest amount of chicken is fine here and quite often I make it without any at all.  

It's worth mentioning that I make this slightly differently every time, which is part of the appeal, using what I happen to have in.  You can dress it up for guests by adding pak choi, fine beans and tiger prawns or have a cheap family meal by using a pack of stir fry veg as I normally do.  

Ingredients

1.5 litres/about 3 pints Chicken Stock

1 tin of Coconut Milk

1 Red Chilli, finely chopped 

Dried red chilli flakes (optional)

8-10 Spring Onions, roughly chopped

2 tspn Ground Coriander

2 tbsp Fish Sauce (nam pla)

2 tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce

2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce

5 Cloves of Garlic, minced

A stalk of fresh lemongrass, chopped as finely as you can (optional) 

about an inch square of fresh ginger, minced

1 pack of mixed fresh stir fry veg

nests of dried noodle (1 nest per person)

Juice of 1-2 limes

Cooked Chicken 

More chopped spring onion for sprinkling at the end (optional)

Fresh Basil or fresh Coriander for stirring through at the end (optional)

• Pour the chicken stock into a large pan and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat down a bit and add the coconut milk, the fresh chilli, lemongrass (if using), ginger, garlic, spring onions and the ground coriander. Give it a stir.
• When the broth is simmering again put in the fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce and light soy sauce.  At this point let it simmer for a few minutes then taste....it may need a splash or two more of any of the above to balance the flavours, bear in mind though that you are going to add the lime juice at the end for that sharp hit.  This is the time to add some dried chilli flakes or more fresh chilli if you have it, it all depends how hot you like it!  
• When you're happy with the salty/sweet/chilli balance put your veg in, bring back to the boil then add the noodles.  Let it bubble away for 4 minutes, with the occasional stir to break up the noodles, then make sure the noodles are cooked through, stir through any cooked chicken and turn off the heat.  By the way, fresh spinach is really good in this but add after the noodles are cooked if using, so as just to wilt the leaves.
• Quickly squeeze in the lime juice, stirring and tasting until it's right for you, then stir through any fresh herbs (if using....basil is great, coriander more authentic but I'm not a fan).
• Pour and dollop into bowls, sprinkle over finely chopped spring onion (if using) and eat/slurp.