My favorite Sewanee Angel and her mom came over to make soup yesterday afternoon, but first we went on a field trip. Caroline was dying to go to the Bangkok Market across from 100 Oaks that I had written about earlier, so off we went. It did not disappoint. Owner Pornchai Rajbundit, greeted us at the door and showed us all kinds of cool stuff. Our shopping list could have been filled at almost any grocery, but it wouldn’t have been half as much fun and would have cost more. Plus we came home with a few new ingredients and some recipes to try.
The soup we made had the impressive title of Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato. Kind of a long name, but we couldn’t find fault in any of the ingredients. We prepped for soup making by putting on some great music, opening a wonderful bottle of wine and getting out 3 chopping boards and 3 knives. I do want to point out that this soup can be made quite easily by one smart woman or man in the kitchen, but it did make for a fun Saturday afternoon to work as a team. Actually the word work is unnecessary here, we had too much fun. I think our favorite part was the beautiful plate of garnishes. It was so pretty, but the peppers were, in a word, violent. Richard and a friend stopped by to sample and steal a jar of soup, so, for me, it was a perfect Saturday afternoon. I think you could cook this delicious soup and make just about any day perfect!
Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato
Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp minced lemongrass
2 Tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
3 Tbsp curry powder
2 (14 oz) cans unsweetened coconut milk
5 c chicken broth
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tsp sugar
3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
2 c 1/2-inch cubes peeled sweet potato (about 1 large potato)
1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice stick noodles
2 c snow peas, trimmed and cut in bite size pieces
For garnish
1/2 c thinly sliced red onion
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 red chilies or 2 red jalapeño chilies, thinly sliced with seeds
1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
Directions
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.
Add next 3 ingredients; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in curry powder.
Add 1/2 can of coconut milk and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and add chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain and add to soup pot.
Cook noodles until just tender but still firm to bite, about 6 minutes. Drain and add to soup pot. (hint: cut them up a bit before adding to soup)
Cook snow peas until bright green, about 30 seconds, drain and add to soup pot.
Serve in bowls and add garnishes as desired.
