immune-boosting noodle soup

I feel like it would be a bit redundant to explain my ridiculously long absence from the blog again, needless to say my job, and life in general, are bloody busy. However the other day my dishwasher started leaking, so thanks to Fisher and Paykel’s 5-hour window of anticipated arrival for fixing (which they did, praise-be), I found myself working from home this afternoon, with the sniffles. I had a bit of a rummage around in the fridge and pantry looking for something to blow-out my sinuses. Et voila – she packs a punch, but I’m hoping she’ll do the trick!

veg:
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup chopped kumara (about 2cm square)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

paste:
3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
2 red chillies, roughly chopped
1 thumb ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt

1 tbsp neutral oil

soup:
1 tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp Thai green chilli paste
400ml light coconut milk
2 tbs brown sugar

200g noodles of your choice (I had Hokkein in the pantry)

to serve:
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
coriander leaves

Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan bake

Pop all the veg ingredients in a baking dish and cook for about 20 minutes until soft and with a few burny bits. While they’re cooking, throw the paste ingredients in a small food processor and whiz to a chunky…paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan or pot and add the paste. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes then add the soup ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Prepare the noodles as described on the packet – I soaked mine in boiling water. Then drain and add with the cooked veges to the soup. Serve topped with chopped nuts and coriander leaves.

Serves 1 sniffly woman