There is no need for sore hands to do any chopping, you can use a bag or ready prepared stir-fry vegetables, just try to make sure that they have some spring onion or similar in to liven-up the soup. If you want to make this into a more substantial dish, try adding a few cooked prawns or pieces of chicken.
500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
2 large handfuls of any vegetable stir fry bag
40g frozen soy beans
1 tsp minced lemongrass (from a jar)
1tsp minced ginger (from a jar)
1tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of miso paste (from the Asian section in the supermarket) or sweet chilli sauce
40g dried bean thread or rice vermicelli noodles
Sesame seeds, crispy shallots, dried chilli, lime and mint to garnish
Makes 1 serving (easily doubled)
Pour the stock into a sauce pan and stir in the lemongrass, ginger, miso and soy sauce. Bring up to a gentle simmer and add the noodles and soy beans. Cook for 4 minutes or until the noodles are just soft, then add the vegetables. Serve immediately and garnish to taste.
Arthritis diet notes
Ginger, chilli and spring onions all contain potent anti-inflammatory phytochemicals which have been shown to help reduce joint pain in some studies. Soy beans are an excellent source of protein and 25g of soy protein a day can help reduce levels of unhealthy cholesterol and prevent heart disease - the 40g portion in this recipe will provide about 1/4 of the 25g target.
