Heather’s Curry Tom Yum (Yummy) Soup

Every time I make this soup everyone asks me for the recipe. I’ve actually never made it the same way more than once; sometimes I use chicken, others fish or seafood. Sometimes it’s red curry paste, sometimes yellow, it all depends how I’m feeling, what I have on hand and whom I’m cooking for. Either way, the recipe below gives you the guideline. I’ve modified it from a recipe I came across years ago at epicurious.com. Have fun with it, she’s a keeper!

Heather’s Curry Tom Yum (Yummy) Soup

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped shallot
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons Thai yellow or green curry paste
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon hot chili paste
2 13.5- to 14-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
5 cups chicken broth
1 medium sweet red pepper sliced thinly
½ cup bamboo shoots
3 cups snow peas, trimmed
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes red-skinned potato
1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or breast (I use thighs as they taste WAY better)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add next 4 ingredients; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in curry paste, curry powder, and chili paste. Add 1/2 cup coconut milk. Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk; bring broth to boil.

Cook snow peas in large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 20 seconds. Using strainer, remove peas from pot; rinse under cold water to cool. Place peas to the side. Bring water in same pot back to boil. Add potato and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using strainer, remove potato from pot and rinse under cold water to cool. Place in small bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil and cook noodles until just tender but still firm to bite, about 6 minutes.

In oil brown chicken about 5 min, add to warm broth to finish cooking. Bring broth to simmer. Add potato; stir to heat through, about 5 minute.

Divide noodles among bowls. Divide snow peas, sweet red pepper, and hot soup among bowls. Scatter red onion, green onions, cilantro, bamboo shoots over soup.