Red Curry Veggie Noodle Soup

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Can’t decide between noodles or soup? How about both!

A lot of times when people think about eating the rainbow, they think it can only happen with a salad. This Red Curry Veggie Noodle Soup is here to prove that wrong. This soup is dripping with color, packs a whole lot of flavor and did I mention NOODLES!

Most Thai red curry soups are made with fish sauces, with the fish coming from who knows where. We keep this soup plant-based by using my secret weapon, dulse flakes. Not only will dulse flakes lend a fishy flavor to the dish, but also provide us with wide variety of sea minerals, like iodine, calcium and potassium, which can improve thyroid health and lower blood pressure.

If you are new to cooking, do not be intimidated by the ingredient list. Take a little time to get all of your ingredients ready to go before cooking and the entire cooking process will be smooth sailing. Even a beginner chopper will have everything prepped in less than 30 minutes and on the table in under an hour, making this a very approachable weeknight dinner.

This Red Curry Veggie Noodle Soup is a crowd pleaser, with it's slightly spicy broth , combined with sweetness from the sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Want to make it even more fun? Serve it family style, allowing each person to laddle the soup over their noodles and greens and top as they desire. Slurps up!  

Red Curry Veggie Noodle Soup

(Makes 4 Servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 TBSP coconut oil*

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger

• 3 TBSP Thai red curry paste

• 1 medium sweet potato

• 1 bunch rainbow swiss chard

• 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, chopped

• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 13 ounce can coconut milk

• 1 1/2 tsp dulse flakes

• 1 TBSP coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari

• 7 ounces brown rice vermicelli noodles

Garnishes (optional):

• Fresh cilantro

• Sesame seeds

• Lime wedges

• Green onions, thinly sliced

• Sriracha

Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables and gather all of the ingredients, including garnishes. Grate garlic and ginger, using a zester. Peel and dice sweet potato into 1-inch cubes. Remove broccoli florets from stems, chopping into small, even pieces. Wash and dry swiss chard, removing leaves from inner stems, chopping stems into small pieces. Lay remaining swiss chard leaves on top of each other, roll leaves tightly together, slice into thin ribbons, finally roughly chop into smaller, bite-sized pieces.

2. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Once pan is heated, add coconut oil, along with garlic, ginger and red curry paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes. *For an oil-free version, use a few tablespoons vegetable broth in place of oil, using slightly lower heat and adding any additional vegetable broth as needed to prevent burning or sticking.

3. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot, sautéing for an additional minute. Next, add the vegetable broth and turn up the heat to bring to a boil over medium-high. Continue to simmer 5 minutes, until sweet potatoes begin to slightly soften.

4. Meanwhile, cook brown rice vermicelli according to package instructions. Drain noodles and place in a bowl of cool, fresh water until ready to use.

5. To the simmering pot, add broccoli, swiss chard stems (hold onto the leaves), coconut milk, dulse flakes and coconut aminos. Stir and bring back to a simmer. Continue cooking an additional 2-3 minutes, until broccoli is bright green and stems are softened. Taste broth and adjust seasonings, adding any additional coconut aminos or dulse, if desired.

6. For serving, divide rice noodles amongst four bowls. Next, add raw swiss chard greens to each bowl and laddle over hot soup, evenly distributing veggies and broth. The chard will soften and wilt from the hot broth.

7. Top with any desired garnishes (or all of them!). Serve with both chopsticks and a spoon for both shoveling and slurping.