I couldn’t contemplate a section of speedy suppers without a noodle soup. Nothing can give succour as fast as a bowl of noodles in flavoursome broth. This is good for chowing down and for slurping and for keeping body and soul together when your stomach’s empty and your day’s been full.

In extremis, I am more than happy to use frozen chopped ginger and chilli, which are kept in my deep-freeze for just such an eventuality (not so infrequent).

Ingredients

• 275g pork fillet, cut into thin discs and then fine strips
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons lime juice
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons fish sauce
• 250g ramen noodles
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon garlic oil
• 6 thin or 3 fat spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 x 15ml tablespoon chopped fresh (or frozen) ginger
• 1 litre chicken stock (good-quality cube or concentrate is fine), preferably organic
• 300g beansprouts
• 175g baby pak choi, torn into pieces
• 2 teaspoons chopped red chilli

Directions

1 Put the strips of pork fillet into a bowl and add the lime juice, soy sauce, paprika and fish sauce, but don’t let this stand for more than 15 minutes.

2 Cook the noodles according to packet instructions and then refresh in cold water.

3 Heat a wok or a deep, heavy-based frying pan, then add the garlic oil and fry the spring onions and ginger for a minute or so. Add the pork and its liquid to the wok, stirring as you go.

4 Cook the meat in the pan for another 2 minutes, then make up the chicken stock with boiling water, add the hot stock to the pan and bring to the boil.

5 Check the pork is cooked through, then add the beansprouts and baby pak choi. Add water if the soupy base has evaporated too much – about 125ml of freshly boiled water should do the trick, but you may not need it.

6 Arrange the drained noodles equally in two large or four small warmed bowls, ladle over them the pork and vegetables, and finally the soupy stock. Scatter the chopped chilli on top and serve.

Serves 2-4. 

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Excerpted from Kitchen: Recipes From the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson Copyright © 2010 by Nigella Lawson. Photo Copyright © 2010 by Lis Parsons. Excerpted by permission of Knopf Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved.