Friday, January 9, 2009

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

This is my kind of comfort food! It combines some traditional Thai flavors with somen noodles and tofu for protein.  I cook the tofu in a frying pan to crisp it up a little, and it contrasts really nicely with the soft wheat noodles.  Udon noodles, which are a little thicker, would work as well.  Although rice sticks would be more authentic, I like the heartiness of the wheat noodles.
I scaled down the spiciness considerably - I only used 1 tsp of red curry paste, and it was pretty mild - but if you like spicy food, use a full tablespoon.  I used Thai Kitchen brand, and I'm not sure how that compares with other brands in terms of spiciness.

(adapted from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson)

9.5 oz somen noodles
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken - your choice)
1 tbsp turmeric
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp red curry paste
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
20 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1 cm cubes
1 can (13.5 oz) light coconut milk
1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro
3 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts
2 tbsp thinly sliced shallot

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook somen noodles according to package directions.  Set aside.
Heat the peanut oil in a large saucepan or soup pot, until you can clearly smell the peanut aroma (that's how you'll know it's hot!)
Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.
Add the broth, turmeric, soy sauce, curry paste, sugar, salt, and lime juice, and whisk to combine.  
Turn heat to low and allow broth mixture to simmer.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high.  Add tofu and cook, shaking pan and flipping the tofu cubes until they are golden and slightly crisp on the outside.
Put the tofu into a large serving bowl or soup tureen.
Add the noodles and coconut milk to the broth mixture and cook for a few minutes.  The noodles may be stuck together, but just give them a nice stir.  When the soup is heated through, pour over the tofu and stir well.
Top with cilantro, peanuts, and shallots to serve.



8 comments:

What's Cookin Chicago said...

This looks like its really full of flavor and I love that it can be a meatless meal all in itself!

Lisa said...

My favorite soup at our local Thai place is coconut curry chicken. I need to totally try out your recipe so I can stop ordering takeout!!! Looks delicious.

That Girl said...

You scaled down the spiciness? I'm disappointed in you. But this looks fabulous! Definite comfort food.

Unknown said...

Wow, looks just like what I would order at a Noodle house. Beautiful! I bet it tastes great.

Anonymous said...

I love coconut and curry together! Definitely have to try this one.

Jaime said...

i love noodle soups :) this looks so warm and comforting

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to try this; it looks great! I've recently rediscovered how much I love soups and have started looking for recipes to try out. Thanks for posting!

RLBerry said...

This looks so good. I had a similar thing at a restaurant recently, so now I'll have to try your version at home.

- Renee (rels09 on WC)
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