Fuel Up With This Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

When deadlines and exams are piling up, it may be hard to make time to cook a proper meal. Making a pot of this coconut curry noodle soup ahead of time can ensure a rewarding dinner after a long day of lectures, and have leftovers for the next day. Sacrificing a meal will not help your marks in return. Make time to not only eat, but enjoy it as well. It is so important to fuel up on a proper meal that will power your brain.

Coconut Curry Noodle Soup

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 25 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 55 minutesServings:3 servings

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp. red onion finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 tbsp. green onion chopped
• 4-5 tbsp. red curry paste
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 block/350g 1 inch cubes extra firm tofu
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 4 tbsp. coconut milk
• 1 package flat rice noodles

Instructions

1. 
   

   Prepare the red onion, garlic, and tofu. Before cutting the tofu, drain the liquid that comes in the package and pat it dry. Excess liquid on the tofu will prevent it from crisping up nicely when pan-frying.

2. 
   

   Sauté the red onion and garlic in a pot with the vegetable oil for 1-2 minutes on medium-low heat. When the onion softens, add the red curry paste and cook for another minute to awaken the flavours.

3. 
   

   Add the chicken stock, water, and coconut milk into the pot. Turn the heat up to medium and let the soup come to a gentle boil.

   #SpoonTip: Depending on the oil content in the curry paste, red oil may coat the top of the soup. That is fine, and the actual soup underneath will have the milky colour from the coconut milk.

4. 
   

   Let the soup continue to gently boil until the tofu and noodles are done. Meanwhile, heat a pan with a little bit of cooking oil to medium-high and pan-fry the tofu for 10-15 minutes or until the pieces are crispy and heated through. Season with some salt and pepper after taking the tofu off the heat.

5. 
   

   While the tofu cooks, boil a pot of water for the noodles. Cook the noodles for 8-10 minutes or according to the package.

6. 
   

   Place a serving of noodles into a bowl and ladle in the soup. Serve with the pan-fried tofu and garnish with chopped green onions. Squeeze on half a lime for some acidity or add a dollop of sambal paste for extra spiciness. Enjoy!

This recipe is super versatile, so go ahead and add in your favourite ingredients. For example, the tofu can be switched out with another protein such as chicken. You can also build on the flavours by adding a couple drops of fish sauce, fresh tomato chunks, or potatoes. I used flat rice noodles in this recipe, but you can use vermicelli, ramen, or even udon noodles. 

You can also build on the flavours by adding a couple drops of fish sauce, fresh tomato chunks, or potatoes. I used flat rice noodles in this recipe, but you can use vermicelli, ramen, or even udon noodles. 

If you are planning on saving the leftovers, either store the cooked noodles and soup in separate containers or wait to cook the noodles when you are ready to eat.

If the noodles are kept in the soup for too long, they will soak up the liquid and become too mushy. If curry and the spices are not for you, try out this recipe for an Asian Miso Soup with Noodles. 

• Dorm Lyfe
• Kitchen