Vegetarian Red Curry Soup
Serving size: 4
Ingredients for soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 tablespoons (or more) red curry paste
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 6 cups regular chicken broth
- 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
- ½ (8 ounce) package thin rice noodles OR bean thread noodles (I prefer bean thread noodles from the Asian market, but rice noodles are sometimes easier to find).
- ½ tablespoon fish sauce
- 2.5 teaspoons brown sugar
Garnish ingredients:
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
- bean sprouts (optional)
- 1 lime
Optional – I prefer to cook vegetarian meals, but adding 1 ½ pounds of cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into 1-inch chunks) makes the soup even tastier!
- Heat a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Once heated, add the onions first and season with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Saute for about 1-2 minutes, then add the peppers and another pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions and peppers start to soften and are slightly brown around the edges. Add your garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in red curry paste** and ginger until fragrant, about 1 ½ minutes.
**Start with the 3 tablespoons of red curry paste, then taste and adjust accordingly. The spiciness you want is personal preference. I use the Thai Kitchen brand found in most grocery stores - it is not too spicy so I end up using at least 5 tablespoons of red curry paste.
- Stir in chicken broth and coconut milk, scraping all of the yummy bits from the bottom of the pot! If you are adding in the cooked chicken (tofu is also an option), add now. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in fish sauce and brown sugar. Continue to cook and stir occasionally for another 5 minutes.
- Get a spoon out and taste! If you think it needs more red curry paste, you may add a bit more now.
- Stir in noodles until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately. I use a pair of tongs to fish out the noodles into a bowl then use a ladle to add the broth.
- Top with bean sprouts (optional), green onion, cilantro, basil and a squeeze of lime juice… and voila! Enjoy!