Ingredients

• 5cm/2in piece galangal or ginger
• peeled
• roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• bruised
• small bunch fresh coriander
• leaves chopped
• roots reserved
• 1-2 shallots
• peeled
• quartered
• 1 medium green chilli
• seeds removed
• roughly chopped
• 3 fresh or 6 dried kaffir lime leaves
• 2 limes
• zest only
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 litre/1¾ pint boiling water
• 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
• 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 8 tiger or king prawns
• shelled
• de-veined
• handful enoki mushrooms
• handful shimeji mushrooms
• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• chopped
• handful sugar snap peas
• 100g/3½oz soba noodles
• 1-2 limes
• juice only
• plus more to serve
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• small handful thai basil leaves
• small handful shiso cress
• 1 green chilli
• sliced

Directions

• For the paste
• blend the paste ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
• For the soup
• heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and fry the paste over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk and fish sauce.
• Pour in the boiling water
• and crumble in the stock cube.
• Add the prawns
• and allow them to cook in the broth for 3-4 minutes
• or until the prawns have turned pink and opaque.
• Add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas
• and continue to cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
• Cook the soba noodles in a large pan of boiling water following pack instructions
• then drain.
• To serve
• add the lime juice to the soup and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Divide the drained noodles between four bowls
• and ladle over the soup. Garnish with thai basil leaves
• shiso cress
• the coriander leaves
• and sliced chilli.
• Squeeze over a little more lime juice to taste.