Hot and sour noodle soup

This is another of those really nice light and refreshing oriental soups that are in fact easy to make. Once again I would recommend using fresh stock if you are going to make this but you can use a stock cube, just think about the salt levels when you make it. Also with the noodles this makes a really filling meal as well. 

You will need

1tbsp groundnut oil

2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger

2 handfuls fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 red chilli

1tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

700ml/1 pint 5floz vegetable stock

220g/8ozcanned bamboo shoots

1tbsp light soy sauce

1tbsp dark soy sauce

1tbsp Chinese black rice vinegar

A pinch ground white pepper

1tbsp cornflour

200g/7oz cooked egg noodles

2 small handfuls beansprouts

5 baby sweet corn

1 spring onion, sliced

100g/3½oz cooked chicken

Start by peeling and thinly slicing the ginger, slicing the shiitake mushrooms and de-seeded and finely chopping the red chilli. Once you have done this you can make your soup. Heat the oil in a wok until hot then fry the ginger and shiitake mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. Then add the chilli, rice wine, vegetable stock, bamboo shoots, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, black rice vinegar and a pinch of pepper. Then bring that to the boil and add the corn flour mixed  about 2or 3 tbsp of  cold water. Stir that in and let it thicken slightly and the soup part is ready.

Now in a big bowl add in layers the cooked noodles, beansprouts, sliced baby corn, spring onions and shredded chicken. Then ladle the soup over the ingredients in the bowl. Let it stand for a while and then it is ready to eat.