Ginger Lemongrass Noodle Soup

You will need:

• 400–500 g dried flat rice noodles
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 cups mixed vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower florets, peeled sliced carrots, trimmed green beans and shredded wombok cabbage
• Soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sriracha chilli sauce, to serve

• 2 onions, unpeeled and quartered
• 5 cm piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 star anise (or less if you don't like a strong licorice flavour)
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons rice bran oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
• 2 lemongrass stems, smashed, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1–3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1–2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons palm sugar
• 2 litres vegetable stock
• 8–12 fresh kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice

• 1 batch Ginger and sesame tofu, cooked
• 1 red onion, halved and finely sliced
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed
• 2 cups picked herbs, such as coriander, Vietnamese mint and Thai basil
• Fried Asian shallots*, for sprinkling