Monday, February 27, 2012

Thai Curry Soup


I posted a picture of this soup on Facebook last week when I made it and immediately had 4 friends ask me for the recipe. It's been ages since I've updated my blog, and while I have indeed been cooking I haven't been writing down my recipes, and quite honestly, haven't been creating many new things. Here is the recipe for the Thai Curry Soup as best as I can from memory:

Thai Curry Soup

8 oz package Pad Thai Noodles (wide rice noodles)
Olive Oil
1 cup broccoli, cut into the tiniest florets you can manage
1 block extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into 1/2 -1 inch cubes
1/4 large red onion, sliced thinly
1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
Thai Green Curry Paste (I use World Foods Brand that I get at Whole Foods Market)
1 can Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk
32 oz. Vegtable Broth
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves (optional, but recommended)
1 stalk of lemongrass (optional, but recommended)
Juice from one lime
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2-3 handfuls of fresh baby spinach


Cook rice noodles as directed, drain and set aside. In a frying pan heat 1 Tbs of olive oil. To the oil add the broccoli florets and saute until bright green and beginning to tender (you still want them crisp). Remove broccoli from pan, add tofu and more oil if necessary. Cook until tofu is nice and brown on all sides. Remove from pan. Add onion and shiitake mushrooms and saute until onion is translucent and mushroom is tender. Remove from heat. In a stock pot place 3 Tbs Thai curry paste (if you are using Thai Kitchen brand start with 1 Tbs and increase according to taste.....Thai Kitchen brand is MUCH hotter than World Foods Brand). Turn heat to high and let curry paste become fragrant. Whisk in one can of coconut milk and 32 oz of vegetable stock. Add kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add tofu and vegetables and simmer for 15-20 minutes to soften veggies and marry flavors. Remove from heat, add juice of one lime, cilantro leaves and baby spinach and stir in to wilt spinach leaves. Remove lime leaves and lemongrass.

To serve, place 1 cup cooked rice noodles in the bottom of a bowl, ladle soup on top. Enjoy.