Thai Curry Vegetable Soup

This is one of my family’s favourite winter comfort food.

I like this Thai Curry Vegetable soup for its simplicity of preparation and the versatile ingredients that go into it.  You can customize it and make it your own depending on if you are omnivore (add shredded chicken), pescatarian (add shrimps) or vegan like me (omit fish sauce), you can include other vegetables like kale, spinach, bean sprouts, snow peas, bells pepper and carrots. The wonderful flavours and aromas will awaken your taste buds and impress your guests.

We all know the amazing properties of:

• sweet potatoes (packed with nutrients, promote gut health and support vision)
• tofu (great source of protein, calcium and Vit D)
• ginger (anti-inflammatory effect)
• bok choy (a powerful antioxidant that contains selenium)
• shitake mushrooms (boost immune system) – just to name a few.

I trust enough was said to realize that this recipe is to be saved.

Serves: 4  Prep time: 10 min  Cook time 20 min

Thai Curry Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp cooking oil (I used sunflower)
• 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger (peeled and grated)
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 big sweet potato (peeled and diced  into medium cubes)
• 1 bunch of bok choy (separate greens, chop stalks into chunks)
• 4 cups of vegetable (or chicken) broth
• 400 ml can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (I replace it with liquid aminos)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 350 g of silken firm tofu
• 10 shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 100 g rice vermicelli noodles

Garnish

• 1 red onion (sliced into half moons)
• Sriracha to taste
• Handful of parsley or cilantro
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

• Splash cooking oil to a large wok, add minced garlic and grated ginger followed by Thai red curry paste. Sauté on medium heat for 1 minute.
• Add diced sweet potato, bok choy stalks and vegetable broth. Bring the wok to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender (approx. 10 min).
• While the soup is simmering, cook vermicelli noodles. Boil a pot of water, add noodles and cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water and set aside.
• Once the sweet potatoes are tender add coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, silken tofu broken into chunks, sliced shiitake mushrooms and bok choy greens.
• Simmer for another 5 minutes.
• To serve, place vermicelli on the bottom of the bowl, ladle the soup, top with red onion, Sriracha sauce, parsley and a lime wedge.

Bon appetite.