Hot and Sour Lime Soup with Beef

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total cooking time: 35 minutes

Serves 4

Difficulty: Medium

1 litre beef stock
2 stems lemon grass, white part only, halved
3 cloves garlic, halved
2.5cm x 2.5cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
95g (3oz) fresh coriander, leaves and stalks separated
2 1.5cm x 4cm strips lime rind
2 star anise
3 small fresh red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
500g (1lb) fillet steak, trimmed
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon grated palm sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
Fresh coriander leaves, extra, to garnish

1. Place the stock, lemon grass, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks, rind, star anise, 1 teaspoon chopped chilli, half the spring onion, and 1 litre water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Strain and return the liquid to the pan.

2. Heat a chargrill pan until very hot. Brush with olive oil and sear the steak on both sides until browned on the outside, but very rare in the centre.

3. Reheat the soup, adding the fish sauce and palm sugar. Season and add the lime juice to taste - you should achieve a hot and sour flavour.

4. Add the remaining spring onion and the chopped coriander leaves to the soup. Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips. Curl the strips into a decorative pattern, then place in 4 deep serving bowls. Pour the soup over the beef and garnish with the remaining chilli and coriander leaves.

Nutrition per serving
Protein 31g; Fat 7g; Carbohydrate 7g; Dietary Fibre 0.5g; Cholesterol 84mg; 900kJ (215kcal)