Thai Dragon Bowl Soup

By roxy21

Additions:
- replace basil with mint
- add chopped bok choy
- top with bean sprouts
- replace red with green curry paste
- sprinkle with finely sliced Thai bird chilie rounds
- add sliced oyster or shiitake mushrooms
- garnish with fried shallots, garlic or lotus root rounds
- add whole prawns or scallops

Ingredients

• 8 cups Asian or vegetable stock
• 3 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and minced
• 3 tbsp minced ginger or galangal
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red curry paste
• 1 oz palm sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1 cup coconut milk
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 lb rice noodles, medium width
• 1/2 block x-firm tofu, cut in small cubes
• 4 kaffir lime leaves, stems removed and finely shredded
• 6 oz snow peas, trimmed
• 1 bunch scallions, minced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves, torn
• Sambal oelek, on the side

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the stock to a simmer and add the minced lemongrass, ginger and garlic; simmer 15 minutes. Strain the stock through a sieve to remove the solids and return liquid to the pot.
Stir in curry paste, sugar, soy and fish sauces and simmer 5 minutes. Add coconut milk and lime juice.
While the broth is simmering, add the rice noodles, tofu and lime leaves; cook until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes. Halfway through this time add the snow peas. When the noodles are cooked add all of the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately in large bowls with lime wedges, sambal oelek, fish and soy sauce on the side.