hide the soup and eat it all myself (no, not really, that’s mean). The point is, this Thai Curry Vegetable Soup is good. So, so, so good. That paired with its simplicity and ease of preparation means there’s a good chance I’ll want to make this about once per week. I probably shouldn’t be eating that much coconut milk, but I’m sure I’ll find some way to rationalize it.
I happened to go to an Asian market yesterday where I picked up the ingredients for this soup (at really amazing prices, I might add), but if you can’t get the same vegetables as me, you can still make this Thai Curry Vegetable Soup! The beauty of this Thai Curry Vegetable Soup is that you can use just about any vegetable you like, although I try to at least have some sort of leafy green.
THAI CURRY VEGETABLE SOUP
This Thai Curry Vegetable Soup is packed with vegetables, spicy Thai flavor, and creamy coconut milk. Ready in about 30 minutes!
Total Cost $6.10 recipe / $1.53 serving
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings
4
(about 2 cups each)
INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp neutral cooking oil* $0.04
2 cloves garlic $0.16
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger $0.05
2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste $0.62
1 small sweet potato (about 1 lb.) $1.61
1 bunch baby bok choy $0.55
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth $0.52
13 oz can coconut milk $1.29
1/2 Tbsp fish sauce $0.07
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.02
3.5 oz rice vermicelli noodles $0.39
GARNISHES (OPTIONAL)
1/2 red onion $0.29
1 lime $0.17
Handful fresh cilantro $0.17
Sriracha to taste $0.15
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the vegetables for the soup and garnishes first, so they're ready to go when needed. Mince the garlic and grate the ginger using a small-holed cheese grater. Peel and dice the sweet potato into one-inch cubes. Wash the bok choy well, then chop into one-inch strips, separating the fibrous stalks from the delicate green ends. Thinly slice the red onion and roughly chop the cilantro.
Add the cooking oil to a large soup pot along with the minced garlic, grated ginger, and Thai red curry paste. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and curry paste over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Add the diced sweet potato and chopped bok choy stalks to the pot (save the leafy green ends for later) along with the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
While the soup is simmering, bring a small pot of water to a boil for the vermicelli. Once boiling, add the vermicelli and boil for 2-3 minutes, or just until tender. Drain the rice noodles in a colander and set aside.
Once the sweet potatoes are tender, add the coconut milk, fish sauce, and brown sugar to the soup. Stir, taste, and adjust the fish sauce or brown sugar if needed. Finally, add the bok choy greens and let them wilt in the hot soup.
To serve, divide the rice vermicelli among four bowls. Ladle the soup and vegetables over the noodles, then top with red onion, cilantro, a wedge or two of lime, and a drizzle of sriracha.
RECIPE NOTES
*Use any neutral (low flavor) cooking oil, like vegetable, corn, canola, sunflower, grapeseed, or peanut.