How does a bowl of warming soup sound to you right now? If winter has moved in to your neck of the woods, then I’m sure you won’t be able to resist! Even we, who have been lucky enough to swap cold and wet English winters for much milder Greek ones, are finding a soup for dinner a welcome prospect right now as evenings have suddenly got windy and cold. And this isn’t just any old soup, it’s more of a substantial dish full of spice, seasonal veggies and noodles bathed in an aromatic curry broth inspired by a Thai classic soup. This vegan Khao Soi is easy to make, filling and very satisfying!

I was rather distracted on the day I was shooting this recipe. The day before we found ourselves become foster parents to one half-starved little kitty and all I wanted to do is to sit by her side and watch her get better. We were driving to get some shopping done when we saw a scruffy little kitten casually stroll on the other side of the road. We stopped the car, but before we managed to get out to help the kitty off the road a car going at a full speed appeared on the other side. We screamed and gesticulated at the driver to get him to slow down in time, but to our horror he ploughed through this poor little critter at full speed without making any attempt to avoid it. Needless to say he did not stop either. We were both sure the kitty died on the spot so when we saw her little shaken body walk off and seek refuge next to a nearby tree we were both shocked and relieved at the same time. Despite such a recent trauma, she was extremely affectionate and docile. Miraculously, she did not seem to have sustained any injuries following the accident but two things immediately stood out – she was starved to near-death and a gracious host to a major flea colony. We couldn’t leave her behind…

A vet confirmed that apart from starvation, a thriving flea and worm population on her back and in her intestines, she is a survivor!! Two days have gone by and she’s getting better by the hour. She is currently curled up on a hot water bottle, wrapped up in a blanket and getting much needed sleep. Our mission is to cure all her ailments and fatten her up a little (okay, a lot!) and find her a loving home as our resident cat (also a rescue one), Tina, has already let us know how she feels about our charity. So if you love cats and would love a gentle and affectionate companion kitty (and you live in continental Europe), please get in touch!! We are sure that together we can figure something out to ship Snowy to a loving ‘hooman’ as soon as she is fully recovered and well enough to travel.