Right about this time of year is when I get officially sick of wintertime and start to count down the days until summer. The cold is overrated, but noodle soups help me get through. This spicy curry one is vaguely Southeast Asian and transports me to a warmer climate — at least in my imagination, for now.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced lemongrass
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (I use a blend of Madras and roasted Sri Lankan curry powders)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 1/2 14-ounce cans coconut milk, divided
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 cups snow peas, trimmed
- 2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled red-skinned sweet potato (yam; from about 1 large)
- 1 pound dried rice vermicelli noodles or rice stick noodles
- 3/4 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 red jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced with seeds
- 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges
- Heat oil in 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 (scooped from thick liquid at top of can). Stir until thick and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, broth, fish sauce, and sugar; bring broth to boil. Keep warm.
- Cook snow peas in 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 in medium bowl. Bring water in same pot back to boil. Add sweet potato and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Using strainer, remove sweet 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. Drain; rinse under cold water to cool.
- Bring broth to simmer. Add chicken; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add sweet potato; stir to heat through, about 1 minute. Divide noodles among bowls. Divide snow peas and hot soup among bowls. Scatter red onion, green onions, cilantro, and chiles over soup. Garnish with lime wedges and serve.