Seed your Soup, No VC Needed, Pomegranate Soup by Way of Azarbaijan from  Samarkand, Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus (Kyle Books, June 2016) by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford.

Pomegranate Soup

Serves 4

150g yellow split peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 litre hot vegetable stock

400ml pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

pinch of sugar (optional)

2 spring onions, chopped

150g spinach leaves, roughly chopped

a handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

a handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped

sea salt and freshy ground black pepper

To serve

seeds of 1/2 pomegranate

1 tablespoon mint leaves, thinly sliced

This is an Azerbaijani soup with sweet, tart and complex spice flavours. Substitute the split peas for green or brown lentils if you prefer.

Unless your split peas are very fresh, soak them overnight in cold water.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and soften the onions. Add the garlic and spices and stir for a minute

or two, until fragrant. Tip in the split peas, add the stock and pomegranate juice and bring to the boil. Cook for 30-45 minutes, until the split peas are tender. Add more hot water if you want a thinner broth.

Stir in the pomegranate molasses and taste the soup for seasoning. If it is tart, a pinch of sugar will mellow the flavour.

Remomve the cinnamon stick and add the spring onions, spinach, parsley and coriander and cook just long enough for them to wilt into the soup. Serve scattered with pomegranate seeds and ribbons of fresh mint.

(^Recipe reproduced with permission from Samarkand, Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus -Kyle Books, June 2016- by Caroline Eden, Eleanor Ford)

Beet the heat with Summer Borscht from Samarkand, Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus (Kyle Books, June 2016) by Caroline Eden and Eleanor Ford.

Summer Borscht with Sour Cream and Chives

Serves 4

4 beets, peeled and coarsely chopped

3 carrots, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 bay leaf

4 black peppercorns

2 cloves

1 teaspoon sugar

sea salt

To serve: 

lemon juice

sour cream

snipped chives

This is an elegant version of borscht, a clear, rubyhued broth served chilled, rather than the heartier beet soups suited to the long winter months. If you have made Rye Bread Kvas (see page 177), try adding a splash to the finished soup.

Put the vegetables and aromatics into a large pan and cover with

5 cups of cold water. Season with the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 40 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the broth and discarding the vegetables (which will have lost their flavor). Let cool, then taste for seasoning. A squeeze of lemon juice will brighten the flavor.

Serve the broth chilled, with a dollop of sour cream and a scattering of chives.

(^Recipe reproduced with permission from Samarkand, Recipes & Stories from Central Asia & the Caucasus (Kyle Books, June 2016) by Caroline Eden, Eleanor Ford)

Hopefully this 'happy dance in your mouth' will not turn so wild and rambunctious as to crack a tooth or two.

This is second recipe i  share from Soupelina's Soup Cleanse,Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, February 2016) by Elina Fuhrman .

Coconut Galangal Broth

This creamy broth packs a punch, and the first time I made it, I did a happy dance in my kitchen. It also felt like a happy dance in my mouth. The broth is admittedly special and highlights Thai flavors, without them overwhelming one another. The delicate aroma and flavor that comes from galangal in contrast to coconut milk and lime juice create an addictive but healthy concoction.

Serves 8

+ Heat the coconut milk in a soup pot over medium heat and bring to a boil.

+ When boiling, add the galangal, lemongrass, sweet potato, and kaffir lime leaves.

+ Lower the heat, add the spring water, cover, and simmer for an hour.

+ Remove from the heat and let stand for about 20 minutes to absorb the flavors.

+ Discard the veggies and season with the salt and lime juice.

+ Garnish with fresh cilantro sprigs and serve hot.

• 2 cups light coconut milk
• 7 slices young galangal
• 3 stalks lemongrass, cut into 1-inch-long pieces and bruised
• 1 medium-size sweet potato, peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
• 5 cups spring water
• 1 tablespoon Himalayan pink salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

  NOTE

  If you’d like the broth creamy, add 1 1/2 cups of coconut milk before adding the spring water to the pot

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life' by Elina Fuhrman -Da Capo Lifelong Books- February 2016) 

Why juice when you can soup?

Start with 'Perks of Being Purple Cauliflower Soup' from Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life (Da Capo Lifelong Books, February 2016) by Elina Fuhrman.

The Perks of Being a Purple Cauliflower Soup

Sometimes I wonder how people eat all the fake stuff when Mother Nature gives us such beautiful organic flavors and colors. Walking through the farmers market is inspiring and makes me feel alive. There is a reason for that: Pretty much everything I buy there has a direct impact on my body, mind, and spirit. Purple cauliflower is not just stunning looking; it also helps you look stunning. The purple color is a perk, a sign of flavonoid compounds called anthocyanins, instrumental in regulating blood sugar levels and body weight, and glucoraphanin, known for lowering your cancer risk.

Serves 4–6

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 medium-size onion, sliced
• 1 head purple cauliflower, cut into large chunks
• 2 or 3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
• Boiling filtered water
• 1 tablespoon sweet white miso
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Juice of 1 lime
• Himalayan pink salt

+ Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat, add the celery and onion, and sauté until the onion is translucent.

+ Lower the heat to medium and add the cauliflower, reserving a few florets for garnish.

+ Add the potato and enough boiling filtered water to cover the veggies; cook until the cauliflower is al dente, 15 to 20 minutes.

+ Add the miso and garlic and cook for another few minutes.

+ Transfer to a Vitamix and puree until smooth.

+ Add the lime juice.

+ Taste and adjust the flavors with salt and seasonings.

+ Garnish with the reserved cauliflower florets.

Note:

If you are not cleansing, serve the soup with ½ teaspoon of truffle oil for extra flavor pop.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Soupelina's Soup Cleanse, Plant-Based Soups and Broths to Heal Your Body, Calm Your Mind, and Transform Your Life' by Elina Fuhrman -Da Capo Lifelong Books- February 2016) 

From dessert to soup, we follow Spiced and Moist Carrot Cake with Kashmiri Garam Masala with soul warmer from World Spice at Home : New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes (Sasquatch Books, September 2014) by Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne.

Golden Butternut Squash Soup with Besar

This is a delicious fall soup. We love the taste of the besar with coconut and squash. The ham hock adds a smoky, salty element and the pomegranate garnish gives a bright pop of flavor to the finish. Serve with flatbread or your favorite rustic bread.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter 1 leek, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch slices
½ yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground besar
3 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup apple juice or cider
½ cup coconut milk (with some of the thick cream)
1 ham hock (optional)
1 bay leaf
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup crème fraîche or coconut cream, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish

In a 5½-quart Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the leek and onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the ginger and besar; stir for 1 minute. Add the squash, chicken broth, and apple juice and bring to a slight boil. Stir in the coconut milk. Add the ham hock and bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Transfer the ham hock to a bowl and allow to cool. Discard the bay leaf. Remove the soup from the heat and cool slightly. Puree most of the soup with an immersion blender or carefully process in batches in a blender.

After most of the soup is pureed, add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Pull the meat off the ham hock, chop it into small pieces, and return to the pot. Discard the bone.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of crème fraîche (if it's too thick to drizzle, thin it with a little water or broth) and garnish with 2 teaspoons pomegranate seeds.

(*(c)2014 By Amanda Bevill and Julie Kramis Hearne. All rights reserved. Excerpted from World Spice at Home: New Flavors for 75 Favorite Dishes by permission of Sasquatch Books. Photography by Charity Burggraaf)

On cold winter evenings, we will be forever grateful to Rossy Earle for this Squash, Apple and Cheddar Soup recipe from Everyday Squash The Most Versatile & Affordable Superfood (Harper, October 2014, US edition) by Rob Firing, Ivy Knight and Kerry Knight.

Squash, Apple & Cheddar Soup

This soup by Rossy Earle, the retail chef kitchen manager at Toronto’s Ryerson University and one of the chefs on the kitchen team at CBC’s Steven and Chris show, is sure to become a favourite. It incorporates the best flavours of autumn—squash and apples—and crowns them in cheddar, a beautiful combo.

Makes 6 to 8 ser vings

2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup garlic cloves
1 large onion, diced
1 large apple, peeled and diced
1 large butternut squash, roasted and mashed (see page 26)
¼ cup pure maple syrup
Pinch of ground nutmeg
½ cup apple cider
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup whipping (35%) cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Crème fraîche, sour cream or plain
Greek yogurt (optional)
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and apple and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent and apple is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the squash, maple syrup and nutmeg. Deglaze with the apple cider (see Tip).

Stir in the stock and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf.

Using an immersion blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, purée until smooth.
Return the mixture to the pot. Stir in cream and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the cheese, until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, add a bit more apple cider.

Ladle into serving bowls. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche (if using). Sprinkle with extra cheese and chives. Serve immediately.

Tip: To deglaze a pan, add liquid, usually stock or wine, and stir to dissolve the cooking sediments from the bottom of the pan, capturing robust, concentrated flavours

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Everyday Squash The Most Versatile & Affordable Superfood -Harper, October 2014- by Rob Firing, Ivy Knight and Kerry Knight)

In a mushroom state of mind?

Try this soup recipe from Shroom, Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms (Andrews McMeel, September 2014) by Becky Selengut.

Sweet Potato Soup with Lime Leaves, Beech Mushrooms, Basil, and Peanuts

Serves: 4

Pairing: French Riesling

The beech mushrooms are less the star here and more of a textural element used as a garnish. Because of this, it’s extra important to use homemade mushroom stock (page xxiii) to highlight the mushroom flavor.
This soup started in my mind’s eye somewhere in Thailand (lime leaves, basil) and then—somewhat inexplicably— migrated to West Africa (sweet potatoes, peanuts). This is the perfect kind of soup to serve when it’s raining, you’re snuggled up on the couch with a blanket, a fire is lit, Thai music is playing, and a zebra is running through your living room.

3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small yellow onion, small diced (about 1 cup)
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and large diced
5 lime leaves (substitute 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest)
¼ cup white wine
5 cups Mushroom Stock (below)
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon fish sauce
7 ounces beech mushrooms, base trimmed and broken apart into bite-size clumps
½ cup lightly packed fresh Thai basil
¹ ³ cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped ⁄
Chili oil (below) or store-bought Asian chili oil, for garnish

In a soup pot over medium-high heat, melt 1½ tablespoons of the coconut oil. After a moment, add the onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and sauté for 10 minutes, until starting to brown. Add the sweet potatoes and lime leaves. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the heat to high, add the wine, and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.

Cook until the sweet potato cubes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add the vinegar. Remove the lime leaves. Puree the soup in a blender until very smooth, or puree in the pan using an immersion blender. Season with the fish sauce, another ¼ teaspoon salt, and more rice vinegar. If you feel it needs more salt, add more fish sauce (a little at a time). Keep tasting until it’s right for you.

Meanwhile, prepare the beech mushroom mixture. In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt the remaining 1 and ½ tablespoons of coconut oil. After a moment, add the mushrooms and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt.

Toss the mushrooms around in the oil, and then spread them out. The idea is to get them to release their liquid and brown quickly. When they brown, stir in the basil and peanuts and transfer to a small bowl.

Serve the soup in wide bowls, garnished with the mushroom mixture and drizzled with some chili oil.

Mushroom Stock:

You will not be sorry you took the time to make your own. As you cook and are busy prepping vegetables and such, e.g., carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, parsley, and thyme, rather than toss or compost the carrot tops and peels, celery ends and leaves, onion ends and cores, shiitake and button stems, thyme and parsley stems, and any other produce bits you collect, save them. (Skip vegetables like kale, cabbage, broccoli, or anything with a dominating flavor or color that you wouldn’t want in a mushroom stock—no beets!)

To make the stock, add these vegetable scraps to a quart-size resealable plastic bag that lives in the freezer. When the bag is full, you are ready to make your stock. At the market, pick up a small onion, some dried porcini, and a handful of fresh shiitake mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle a little high-heat oil on a rimmed baking pan. Throw the shiitakes, along with the chopped-up onion, onto the pan, and toss with the oil. Roast until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a little wine or water, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Dump the mushrooms and onions, along with the liquid, into a stockpot along with the contents of that freezer bag (no need to thaw) and a few rehydrated pieces of dried porcini (along with the strained soaking liquid). Cover with 3 quarts water, chuck in about 5 peppercorns, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Pour the contents of the pot through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. You should end up with about 2 quarts mushroom stock. Want to make vegetable stock? Do the same thing, but just use fewer mushrooms and more vegetables (and a big flavor bonus if you roast some of the vegetables as you would the shiitake and onion). If you want to make mushroom stock but don’t have a full bag of trimmings in the freezer, just use an assortment of vegetables and mushrooms (equaling roughly 1 quart) and follow the same general procedure. See Video on making mushroom stock...

Chili Peanut Oil:

You can find many varieties of bottled chili oil in Asian markets or online, but it’s ridiculously easy to make a batch from scratch and store it in your fridge. Plus, your homemade oil contains none of the additives and preservatives that are commonly added to the bottled versions.

To make your own, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine 1 cup peanut or coconut oil, along with 3 to 5 tablespoons red pepper flakes (see Note). (The quantity will depend on how hot you want the oil to be.) Heat the oil to 300°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the pan from the heat and try not to breathe in the fumes!

Let the oil cool to 250°F, and then add 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 2 tablespoons minced roasted unsalted peanuts. Transfer to a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Seal the jar, shake it a few times to distribute the ingredients, and leave at room temperature for 2 days. Refrigerate. It will keep for at least 1 month, if not longer, in the fridge.

Note: You can purchase whole dried chiles, toast them in a dry pan until flexible and fragrant, and then buzz them in the food processor, or just use regular bottled red pepper flakes.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission, from Shroom, Mind-Bendingly Good Recipes for Cultivated and Wild Mushrooms -Andrews McMeel, September 2014- by Becky Selengut, Photograph, Clare Barboza)

While many cookbooks pile up the recipes on us, Cal Peternell, a chef of Chez Panisse in Twelve Recipes (William Morrow, October 2014) scales things back and keeps it humanly manageable.

Late October- early November cooler evenings call for warm soups.

Here's one you can serve straight or spiced up.

LEBLEBI

This North African soup combines a simple stew of onion, cilantro, and spiced chickpeas with
toasted bread chunks, turning humble to sublime, especially if you set a poached or hard-boiled egg on top. Liam and I like it for a satisfying after-school snack, even for 2 or 3 days running. I put a spoonful of spicy harissa and a sprinkle of capers on mine. Liam takes his straight. We try to say “We love leblebi!” three times fast, with full mouths and true hearts.

4 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
Crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup roughly chopped cilantro stems and leaves
2 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped
¾ cup chopped or grated tomatoes or ½ cup roasted tomato puree (page 184)
6 cups cooked chickpeas, with their liquid (2½ cups dried)
Small handful of Rustic Oily Croutons (page 25) per bowl
1 poached (page 33) or hard-boiled (page 30) egg per bowl
Ground cumin (optional)
Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
Capers (optional)
Harissa sauce (opposite; optional)

Heat a soup pot over high heat. Add the oil, then the onion and salt. Stir, lower the heat, and cover the pot. Check and stir after a few minutes, letting the liquid on the lid drip back into the pot to keep things steamy. Lower the heat if there is any browning going on, and re-cover.

Cook like this until the onion is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes to stop the garlic from browning and cook for a couple minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas and enough of their cooking liquid to cover by 2 inches, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Put 2 ladles of soup in a blender or food mill and puree (careful—it’s hot). Return to the soup pot and stir in to thicken the leblebi slightly.

Taste for seasonings and add water or any reserved cooking liquid if it’s too thick.

To serve, put some croutons in each soup bowl. Ladle in the leblebi and top with a poached egg or a halved hard-boiled egg. Sprinkle with a little ground cumin and oil and capers if you like, and pass a bowl of harissa sauce to spoon over at the table.

Tubes of prepared harissa, like some kind of practical joke toothpaste, can be found at Middle
Eastern markets. At Asian markets, I buy sambal oelek—the chili paste that comes in a little jar with a green top and a gold label with a red rooster on it—and make a quick harissa by stirring 3 tablespoons of it with 1 or more pounded garlic cloves and 6 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil.

For a more nuanced harissa sauce, mix 2 tablespoons paprika or any other mild chili powder with enough hot water to make a thick paste, about 3 tablespoons. Stir in 2 tablespoons pounded garlic and 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil. I often want a splash of red wine vinegar in there and sometimes will add some ground cumin and cayenne if it needs heating up. A tablespoon or two of currants or raisins, plumped for 10 minutes in hot water, adds a sweet counterpoint.

(* Recipe excerpted from  Twelve Recipes by Cal Peternell -William Morrow, October 2014) 

Guacamole in a cup, not quite.

This recipe from Organic Avenue (William Morrow, April 2014) by Denise Mari will be perfect to sip and savor on a hot summer night.

Awesome Avocado Mint Soup

Think guacamole in a glass, oh-so-satisfying as a light summer meal or a more substantial one when paired with one of our salad offerings. Avocados are rich in luteins and folate, both important for heart health, and spinach and mint pump up the green factor, always a good thing in the LOVE*Lifestyle.

Serves 2 to 4 (makes about 4 cups/1 liter)

2½ cups (600 milliliters) water

1 small avocado, peeled and pitted

1 small unpeeled cucumber, ends trimmed and roughly chopped

½ cup (15 grams) packed mint leaves

Handful of spinach leaves

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste

1¼ teaspoons salt, or more to taste

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, adding more water if the soup is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and lime juice if needed. Serve immediately, or cover and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

(* Recipe from Organic Avenue by Denise Mari- William Morrow, April 2014- reproduced with permission)

From salad to soup, after Green Papaya Salad from Thailand: The Cookbook (Phaidon Press, May 2014) by Jean-Pierre Gabriel, here's a soup recipe.

Roasted Duck Noodle Soup

Adapted from THAILAND: THE COOKBOOK by Jean-Pierre Gabriel

Origin: Central

Preparation time: 30 – 40 minutes, plus standing time

Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

For the roasted duck:

 1 x 2¼ - lb./1-kg whole duck, cleaned without giblets
 ¼ cup (2⅔ oz./70 g) salt flakes
 5 slices fresh ginger
 4 cloves garlic, chopped
 3 – 4 cilantro (coriander) roots, chopped
 1 teaspoon five spice powder
 1½ tablespoon black salted soybeans, finely pounded
 1 teaspoon slat
 1 tablespoon 55 proof liquor or brandy
 1 tablespoon sugar
 2 tablespoons honey
 1 tablespoon thick soy sauce

For the soup:

 7½ cups (3 pints/1.75 liters) chicken broth (stock)
 2 star anise
 1 small cinnamon stick, broken into small pieces
 2 cloves garlic, coarsely crushed
 2 cilantro (coriander) roots, coarsely crushed
 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
 1 teaspoon salt
 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
To serve:
 11 oz./300 g fresh egg noodles
 1 cups (3½ oz./100 g) bean sprouts
 ¼ cup (¾ oz./20 g) finely sliced scallions (spring onions)
 4 tablespoons Fried Garlic (see p. 64)
 ¼ cup (2 fl oz./50 ml) white vinegar (optional)
 ¼ cup (2 fl oz./50 ml) soy sauce (optional)
 ¼ cup (2 oz./50 g) superfine (caster) sugar (optional)
 2 tablespoons dried chili flakes (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 300 °F/150 °C/Gas Mark 2.

Rinse the duck thoroughly in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the whole duck with the salt flakes and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat dry with paper towels, then set aside.

Pound the ginger, garlic and cilantro (coriander) roots in a mortar with a pestle until smooth, then transfer to a bowl and add the five spice powder, salted soybeans, salt, liquor or brandy, and sugar and mix until combined. Put the mixture inside the duck, then place the duck on a roasting tray and set aside.

To make the honey sauce, mix the honey, thick soy sauce, and ⅓ cup (2½ fl oz./75 ml) water in a bowl.

Brush the duck all over 2-3 times with this mixture, then roast the duck in the oven for about 1½ hours or until cooked. During roasting, brush the duck with some of the honey sauce every 30 minutes. When
cooked, remove the duck from the oven, cover with kitchen foil, and let rest for at least 15 minutes.

Remove the duck drumsticks and set aside, then carve the meat, slice into strips, and set aside.

To make the soup, heat the broth (stock) in a pan over medium heat. Put the star anise, cinnamon, garlic, cilantro (coriander) roots, and black pepper into a spice bag and add to the pan. Let the broth boil for 5 minutes, Season with soy sauce, salt, sugar, and dark soy sauce then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Divide the noodles, been sprouts, scallion (spring onion), and fried garlic among serving bowls. Season with the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and chili flakes, if using, and serve.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Thailand: the Cookbook by Jean-Pierre Gabriel- published by Phaidon Press, May 2014)