I read somewhere long ago, that a bowl of soup is a wonderful vehicle for vegetables. Have a look at the picture, wouldn’t you agree? Soup, whether it’s just like this one or of a single vegetable roasted and pureed; is an easy meal to put up to sustain the entire family, in one go (from toddlers to adults).

Every house needs a good recipe of a versatile soup like this one, for days when somebody has a cold, sore throat or simply in need of a comforting bowl. I say versatile because I have served this soup with macaroni, with wontons and even over rice.

Serve it with a side of stir-fry or tempura and you have one hearty meal. Let’s get into it right away..

Ingredients:-

• 1 litre water
• 3-4 large pork bone (soup-bone)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped finely
• 3 corainder roots, crushed
• 1 tbsp salt
• ¼ cup shitake mushroom, cut into slices
• ¼ cup carrots, cut into thin circles
• 1 roll egg bean curd
• 2-3 branches of celery
• a handful of any kind of leafy green
• ½ cup of minced pork/chicken
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 tbsp soya sauce
• 1 tbsp rice bran oil

Method:

1. Add pork bone to a boiling pan of water. Let it cook on medium heat for 30-35minutes.
2. Strain out the foamy substance formed on the top.
3. Add salt, followed by all the vegetables prepared. (Except for garlic). Let cook for another 10minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a heated pan, add the oil. Saute the garlic and minced pork together over high heat for 3-5minutes. Season with soy sauce and black pepper. Set aside. You will want some liquid from this pan to be added to the soup, so if you are low on liquid add some water.
5. Add the bean curd to the soup right before serving. No stirring after this has been added.

There are many ways to serve this soup but my house-hold favourite is on top of rice.

6. Spoon rice into a bowl. Pour some soup over the rice. Top with vegetables from the pot. Some bean curd and lastly scoop a large spoon of the garlic chicken (with liquid) over the top. Garnish with spring onions.

Enjoy!!!