Chinese cabbage soup

Ingredients :

450g/1lb pak choi

600ml/1pt vegetable stock

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon caster sugar

1 tablespoon dry sherry

1 fresh red chilli, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon cornflour

How to make
- Wash the pak choi thoroughly under cold running water, rinse and drain. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Trim the stems from the pak choi, and shred the leaves.
- Heat the stock in a large heavy saucepan. Add the pak choi and cook for 10–15 minutes.
- Mix together the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and sherry in a small bowl. Add this mixture to the stock, together with the chilli. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Blend the cornflour with 2 tablespoons water to form a paste, and gradually stir into the soup. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Cook for a further 4–5 minutes, then ladle the soup into warm individual serving bowls and serve immediately.