Friday, April 29, 2011

Green Curry Noodle Soup

How many green things are in this soup?
  • serrano peppers
  • scallions
  • limes
  • squash
  • mustard greens
  • collard greens
  • turnip greens
  • spinach
  • cilantro
  • mint
  • basil
  • (note to self: next time, garnish with diced avocado and make the lime-cilantro-avocado trifecta complete!)
Yes, friends, this is a very green soup.  It is also ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.


Fragrant, tangy, savory, interesting, filling, a complete meal, yet light-tasting... this goes in the soup hall of fame.

It's also a very flexible recipe.  You make the broth, adjust it to your taste, then strain it and add whatever you want.  This time, I omitted the lemongrass and the corn, reduced the chilies, subbed onion for shallot and mixed greens for spinach.  Then I added squash, heart of palm, and cooked soba noodles.  You know... you're not going to mess it up.

I also made some changes in the method: I toasted and ground the spices before adding them to the cooking oil, and I sauteed the tofu, squash, and heart of palm separately before adding them to the soup.

Green Curry Noodle Soup
(adapted from 101 cookbooks)

Ingredients
1 TB coriander seeds
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin seeds
*
2 TB olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
2+ small serrano chile peppers, thinly sliced
a 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled then grated
8 green onions, trimmed, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
*
1/4 c lime juice and a bit of zest
6-7 c vegetable broth
*
1 block tofu, cut into tiny cubes
3-4 long pieces heart of palm, cut into little bits
squash (I used 3 small Mexican squash but you could also use 1-2 zucchini), cut into half-moon slices
*
4 handfuls of chopped greens (I used the Trader Joe's bagged variety of mustard greens, collards, etc)
*
1-2 servings soba noodles, cooked
a small handful of each of the following: fresh mint, fresh cilantro, fresh basil, chopped
lime juice, salt, and cayenne to taste
optional diced avocado as a garnish

Instructions
1. Lightly toast cumin and coriander.  Grind.
2. In a large pot, heat olive oil, then add toasted spices.  Cook 30 seconds, then add onion, garlic, chilies, ginger, scallions, and turmeric.  Cook over medium high heat 5+ minutes.
3. Add lime juice, zest, and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5+ minutes.
4. In a frying pan, lightly saute tofu, heart of palm, and squash.  I first browned the tofu on its own before adding the other veggies, which I left still crisp.
5. Strain broth and discard onion etc.  Return broth to pot and bring back to a simmer.  Add saute mixture and chopped greens.  Simmer about 5 minutes (til squash is tender but not mush), then add cooked noodles and herbs.  Adjust flavors to taste and serve.  Perhaps garnish with avocado.  Serves about 6.

1 comment:

janet @ the taste space said...

Love it!! Adding greens to soups is a great way to eat more veggies. This looks really tasty, too. :)