Fragrant Chicken Broth is a lovely winter warmer soup. Perfect for a chilly lunchtime.

This very low calorie broth (131 cals) will leave you with a warm glow and a full stomach. Fragrant Chicken Broth has a Thai feel and a bit of a kick. Add some chicken or black beans if you want to make it more substantial.

Warning: this is quite hot and spicy, so if you don’t like it too hot, use just one chilli.

This broth serves four, but freezes well so feel free to make a big batch and pop some in the freezer for another day.

Fragrant Chicken Broth

135 calories

Serves 4 • Ready in 30 mins

1 litre (4 cups) fresh chicken stock (70 cals)
2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped into rings (2 cals)
6 spring onions (scallions), trimmed and shredded (55 cals)
1 thumb fresh root ginger, peeled and cut into very thin strips (9 cals)
1 red (bell) pepper, deseeded and cut into strips (51 cals)
100g (3½ oz) green beans (35 cals)
1 tsp brown sugar (16 cals)
2 limes (5 cals)
a pinch of ground mace
1 tsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce) (4 cals)
1 tsp rice vinegar
few leaves fresh basil, torn (optional)
1 × 400ml (14fl oz) can reduced-fat coconut milk (292 cals)

• Heat the chicken stock with the chillies, spring onions (scallions), ginger, red (bell) pepper, green beans and brown sugar. Using a fine grater, grate in the zest of 1 lime. Add a pinch of mace, the salt, nam pla and rice vinegar and simmer for 20 minutes. Juice the limes.
• Stir in the basil leaves, coconut milk and lime juice, and heat for a further 5 minutes until hot and just bubbling. Serve immediately.