I’ve actually posted a recipe very similar to this before, but considering the photo was appalling and this recipe really deserved better, I thought I’d redo it.
Now, if you’re one of those people who cooks everything from scratch, you might hate me for this one, because it’s a bit of a cheat’s recipe. I enjoy making things from scratch (e.g. my homemade red enchilada sauce) but I’d be lying if I said I never take a short cut. This soup recipe uses shop-bought red Thai curry paste (why faff around with unfamiliar ingredients when someone who actually knows what they’re doing has already done it?), and I even used a pre-prepared mixture of stir-fry veg (far cheaper than buying each vegetable individually). If you’d prefer to buy each veg separately so you can have more control over what you include, that’s doable too. You could even view this as a fridge clear-out recipe and just use whatever you have on hand.
Red Thai curry is one of my favourite Asian dishes – it’s got a nice amount of spice but it isn’t overwhelming, and isn’t overly heavy unlike some Indian curries. The sauce is usually fairly thin, which is why it was so easy to serve this as a soup-style dish – although if you wanted, you could make this a little thicker and serve it as a curry with the noodles or rice on the side. The shop-bought curry paste is really easy to use – just mix it with some coconut milk and you’ve got yourself a tasty red Thai curry.
This recipe is perfect for this time of year because it’s fresh and fragrant, and you don’t need to turn your oven on! The heat is just about holding up here in the UK (though the sunshine has been a bit shy the last couple of days), so a stovetop meal is ideal.
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- 1tbsp oil
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- 300g mixed stir-fry vegetables (I used a pre-prepared mix with beansprouts, mangetout, baby corn, carrot, cabbage and onion, but you can use whatever you like)
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- 2-3tbsp red Thai curry paste (make sure it’s veggie!)
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- 400ml tin coconut milk
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- 300g fresh noodles (I used egg noodles but you can use a vegan noodle if needed)
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- Salt
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- Black pepper
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- 300ml water
- 2tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
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- Heat the oil in a large wok or deep frying pan, and stir-fry the vegetables for around 5 minutes – you want them to be slightly softened, but still with a nice bit of crunch.
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- Add the curry paste and mix well (I used 3tbsp but if your paste is particularly spicy, or if you just like a milder curry, you might prefer to only use 2).
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- Add the coconut milk and the fresh noodles, and season to taste. I also added around 300ml water – just add however much you need to get the curry/soup to your desired consistency. Cook over a medium heat for a few more minutes, simmering very gently, until the curry is hot.
- Stir in the chopped coriander, and serve.
David
Tuesday 10th of July 2018
This looks my favorite dish at the Thai place we visit whenever we can. I'm looking to try this but the only red curry paste we've been able to find has been the 'Maesri Thai Red Curry Paste'. We tried it for a previous recipe and liked the flavor but it was just too spicy. We were thinking about trying the yellow instead but our store also has a yellow sour as well. Just wondering how these might be instead or maybe doing half/half?
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Wednesday 11th of July 2018
I'm actually not too familiar with yellow curry paste, but you could definitely give it a go! I'm sure half and half would be fine too. To be honest though I love the flavour of the red curry paste, it's slightly sweet which I really like, so I think if it were me I'd just stick with the red but use a bit less :)
Amy @ Pressure Cook Recipes
Sunday 9th of October 2016
Hi Becca, Thai curries are one of my favorite! We just made some the other day. It was delicious. Have a wonderful weekend! Amy
Anya
Wednesday 5th of October 2016
Pretty good for an easy, quick, healthy meal :) Needs a balance of the brown sugar/lime/heat but it's all preference.
Krystal
Monday 9th of May 2016
Tried it and loved it! Only used 2 spoonfuls of curry paste and 200g of noodles. Perfect for 2 people. Seriously good soup.
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Monday 9th of May 2016
Yay glad you liked it, thanks Krystal!
Caroline
Monday 22nd of February 2016
My local grocery store didn't have fresh coriander so I bought the dried kind in a jar. Should I still use the same amount? Making this tonight for Meatless Monday :)
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
Monday 22nd of February 2016
Do you mean you have the dried herb (dried cilantro), or the ground up spice? When I say fresh coriander, that's what some parts of the world would call cilantro. In the UK, ground coriander (the brown spice) is very different - it comes from a different part of the plant. If that's what you've got, I'd just skip it or use fresh parsley or something instead, it's there more for freshness and crispness than for flavour :)