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.