A challenge! My friend Chad came to visit from Seattle, bringing with him a recipe that he’d found in an effort to make a noodle soup like the one he’d eaten at a place called Boom Noodle. The recipe he’d used did not turn out well (something about fish sauce), and he wanted to see if I could do better.
Now, I have not eaten at Boom Noodle, so I have no idea what the dish tasted like that Chad ate. I had to feel my way through this and taste frequently, and in the end I’m happy to say that Chad was blown away by what I came up with, and the Mr. and I thought it was tastytasty as well. It’s got lots of yummy fresh ingredients, and a pretty significant kick. You can add more noodles for a more substantial dish, or take them away altogether for something lighter.
This recipe serves 4.
First:
2 Tbs hot chili oil, preferably sesame
1/2 yellow or sweet onion, diced medium
2 cloves garlic, minced (you will need 5 cloves total for this recipe)
1 tsp chili flakes
3 Tbs red curry paste
1 tsp salt
Saute your onion in the oil until almost translucent – about 10 mins. Add the garlic and saute for a couple more minutes, then the chili flakes, curry paste, and salt, sauteing for about 3 more mins after you add them.
Next:
4-6 cups water (depending on how brothy you like your soups)
1-2 cans light coconut milk (depending on how rich you want it…adjust your water accordingly)
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
1 big handful of soy curls
Add 1 cup of water first and make sure the curry paste is completely dissolved. Then add the coconut milk, stir, bring to a boil, and then turn down to med/low. Now you can add the rest of these ingredients and cover.
Then, in another pan:
1 Tbs grapeseed oil
2 Tbs fresh ginger, minced (this will look like a large thumb-sized piece of the root)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp coriander
1/2 – 1 tsp (to taste) cayenne pepper
2 tsp salt
It’s really important to “bloom” your curry with hot oil to get the most out of your spices. Heat the oil well before adding all of these spices at once, and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute. Then add to the soup.
Finally:
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 package rice noodles, broken in half so they are not super long (thin or thick, size is up to you)
2 Tbs fresh squeezed lime juice
Add all of this while your soup is still on low/med. Cook until the noodles are done, taste and add more salt as needed, and serve.
To garnish:
Bean sprouts
Cilantro
Lime wedges
Serves 4-6 depending on how big your servings are and how much noodles/soy curls were added. It’s important to eat this right away as rice noodles are fairly icky the next day when left in broth. If you want to make a lunch of it, make everything but the noodles the night before. Add the dry noodles in the morning before you go to work, and bring the garnish with you. The noodles will soak up the flavor all morning, and when you heat the soup at lunch the noodles will cook. Add your garnish and enjoy!
Cooking with Calliope Kittenpants 