Mel Hemsley shares her comfort food favourite - packed full of the good stuff, perfect for sick (or not so sick) days.
If you love the sourness of a Thai tom yum soup, then you’ll really enjoy this too. This is lip-smackingly good, tangy and ideal for sick days, or any day you may need a little lift. This pot of nourishment is completely delicious and exactly what you want from comfort food. You can use any fish you like and any veg you have, but try to make sure there are some dark, leafy greens. Swap the sweet potato for squash or add cooked quinoa or noodles to each bowl, before ladling the soup on top.INGREDIENTS
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil or ghee
4 fat garlic cloves, finely diced
5cm piece of ginger, thinly sliced or finely grated
2 large sweet potatoes (or 1 butternut squash), scrubbed not peeled, chopped into 2cm cubes
300g cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp tamarind paste (if you can’t get it, add 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice)
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp fish sauce or extra tamari
1.2 litres vegetable stock, bone broth or water
A pinch of chilli flakes or a whole fresh chilli
300g green beans, topped but not tailed, halved
500g fish fillets, chopped into large 2–3cm chunks
300g mix of spring greens, cabbage, pak choy, spinach or watercress, sliced
Sea salt and a generous pinch of black or white pepper
STEPS
1 . In a large saucepan, fry the onion in the oil over a medium heat for 3 minutes until you’ve chopped the garlic and ginger, then add them too. If you’re lacking energy, use a food processor to chop your onions, garlic and ginger and fry them up
together.
2. Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, tamarind paste, tamari, fish sauce, broth, chilli or chilli flakes and salt and pepper, pop the lid on, bring to the boil, then turn down toa medium simmer for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender.
2. Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, tamarind paste, tamari, fish sauce, broth, chilli or chilli flakes and salt and pepper, pop the lid on, bring to the boil, then turn down toa medium simmer for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender.
3. Add the green beans, fish and cabbage, pak choy or hardier greens (not the spinach or watercress) and simmer for 5 minutes until the fish is just cooked through. Taste for seasoning, adding more tamarind paste for a sourer flavour, if desired. Remember, fish sauce is salty and brands vary in strength.
4. Add the spinach or watercress to each bowl if using, then divide the soup into the bowls and they will wilt in the heat. Serve immediately.
You can find more recipes like this one in Mel’s latest book ‘Eat Green’. Buy your copy here!