Um, okay okay okay okay-as my four-year-old would exclaim when he is full of excitement and too much information is flooding his amazing brain. My Bon Appetit magazine came the other night, which in of itself is reason to exclaim, but then the cover…..says….”HOT SOUP”. The picture on the cover is the most delectable (and obvious) curry base soup with long noodles and fresh sprigs of cilantro. There IS A GOD! If you cannot tell, this is so right up my alley. This is the kind of recipe I live and breathe for. So, I grabbed a pencil and pad of paper and started to prepare my shopping list for the next morning because I will be making this soup the following night.
The recipe, as printed, has you make your own curry paste. Although that does sound delightful, and truly, not that much more time-consuming I’m going to give you the recipe of what I did. See, at the beginning of this new year I promised to provide a lot more quick, healthy and simple meals to prepare. Easy for a parent to pull together after work and school. So I have simplified this amazing recipe and at the same time kept it just as tasty and with the orignal essence that it had intended. In other words, I am using already prepared red curry paste.
So, first off I was having an issue finding fresh bean sprouts for a garnish so I asked my local grocer why I cannot find them and she claims that they have opted to not sell them anymore as they were making too many people sick. Huh? This was news to me, so….I bought a can of them-GASP! I know, a can of vegetables. Gross. They actually were fine. They were stored in water and had no preservatives. Hopefully I can find fresh ones down the mountain when I have more time to prep the meal. No judging necessary, I know. Also, the recipe calls for brown sugar. I don’t really like my soups or any of my foods (unless it is dessert of course) to be sweet. I have kept that item in but know that it is optional. Also, fish sauce. Not a fan. I know it is a crucial staple in Asian cooking but I just cannot wrap my head around the smell as soon as I open the bottle. I did it this time but maybe next time I will substitute oyster sauce. That has a fish taste as well as slightly sweetened. Try it if you feel the same as I do toward fish sauce. The recipe calls for some crunchy onions and shallots for a topping, I didn’t have time to do that (although it is easy and I encourage you to try it just fry them in a bit of oil) I, instead, puffed up some rice noodles. All you do is heat up a tablespoon or two of oil in a 4 quart braiser, add the rice noodles and voila! You’ve got some yummy, crunchy noodles that add a fun dimension to the bowl. This soup is easily made into a vegetarian meal, maybe add some tofu and use vegetable stock. PS-I strongly suggest to not skimp on the fresh lime wedges as it provides a heavenly squeeze 
Happy cooking friends!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
2 tablespoons red curry paste
2 14 oz cans unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut in half and then lengthwise (strips)
10 oz package of Chinese noodles
3 tablespoons (or more) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (packed) brown sugar (optional)
kosher salt
Suggested Toppings
sliced red onions, bean sprouts, cilantro sprigs, crispy friend onions or shallots, chili oil, lime wedges and crispy rice noodles
Preparation
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add curry paste; cook, stirring constantly, until slightly darkened, 4-6 minutes. Add coconut milk and broth. Bring to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool slightly; shred meat.
- Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.
- Add chicken, 3 tablespoons fish sauce and sugar to soup. Season with salt or more fish sauce, if needed. Divide soup and noodles among bowls and serve with toppings.
Mine came out pretty darn good…(I forgot to add the crunchy rice noodles, oops)
Curry Paste (if you have some extra time, home-made curry paste is superior to store-bought)
Khao Soi Paste
4 large dried New Mexico or guajillo chiles, stemmed, halved, seeded
2 medium shallots, halved
8 garlic cloves
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro stems
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
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Place chiles in a small heatproof bowl, add boiling water to cover, and let soak until softened, 25-30 minutes.
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Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Purée chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, and 2 tablespoons soaking liquid in a food processor, adding more soaking liquid by tablespoonfuls, if needed, until smooth.
High Altitude Adjustment
- None
Compost
- Red onion, bean sprouts, cilantro, onion, shallot and lime trimmings
Recycle
- Coconut milk cans/lid
Reuse
- Plastic bags vegetables came in
