Like many street food dishes in Thailand, the variations of Thai red curry noodle soup are endless. This version, using a red curry paste and a coconut seafood broth, was warm and satisfying. You will finish a bowl of this noodle soup feeling content.
The most important ingredient in this Thai red curry noodle soup recipe is the stock. While you don’t need to make your own, it is strongly recommended that you do. The resulting broth will be so much better for it. This salmon head stock recipe was perfect. Make a big batch and freeze what you don’t need for next time.
Being a Thai red coconut curry noodle soup, there are two other primary ingredients in the broth. The first is coconut milk (aka coconut cream). Be sure to buy an unsweetened canned version, preferably from South East Asia – like this one. The second is a Thai red curry paste. This should have a warmth and depth of flavour, rather than just being really hot. I have used this one a lot.
The quality of the egg noodles is also important. If you can, buy fresh or frozen egg noodles from an Asian supplies store. Alternatively, use good quality dried egg noodles. You can get these on Amazon. This Thai inspired seafood broth is no place for instant noodles! This Serious Eats article explains some of the more common noodle types. This dish uses the noodle called lo mein.
Apart from core ingredients – the Thai red curry paste, coconut cream, stock, and noodles – you can play around and try some substitutions. For example, try using different types of mushrooms, fish, surimi, and garnishes.
Thai red curry noodle soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 10 g butter
- 1 onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 piece ginger thumb sized
- 2 red peppers
- 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
- 1 Tbsp fish sauce
- 400 ml coconut cream 1 can
- 4 cups salmon head stock
- 200 g fresh shitake mushrooms
- 150 g baby mushrooms I used brown beech mushrooms
- 200 g salmon fillet
- 500 g assorted surimi (crab balls, crab sticks etc)
- 200 g egg noodles fresh or dried
Garnish
- 4 spring onions
- 1 large mild chilli
- 1/4 cup roasted nuts cashews or peanuts work well
- Lime wedges to serve
Instructions
- Wash, halve, and trim the red peppers. Smear with olive oil and roast for 45 minutes at 180 degC.
- Finely dice the onion and garlic.
- Finely grate the ginger.
- Clean and remove skin from the salmon fillet. Cut into roughly 15x15mm pieces. Return to refrigerator.
- Wash the spring onions, trim, and finely dice. Set aside.
- Wash the large chili, halve vertically, remove seeds, and finely chop. Set aside.
- Wash the shiitake mushrooms, drain, and remove stalks.
- Wash the baby mushrooms, remove lower stalks.
- Pick the best small basil leaves for a garnish. Chop the rest and add to the diced salmon.
- Soak the dried egg noodles in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Add a oil to a high sided fry pan and bring to medium heat.
- Saute the mushrooms until starting to brown. Set aside.
- Saute the surimi until browning.
- Saute the onion until transparent.
- Add the garlic and finely grated ginger.
- Once the ginger fragrance becomes strong (3-4 minutes) add the red curry paste.
- Saute until the curry paste exudes a strong fragrance (3-4 minutes).
- If the pan you are using is not large enough for all the remaining ingredients, then transfer the ingredients to a large saucepan.
- Add the coconut cream, salmon head stock, and fish sauce to the onion and red curry.
- Add the sauteed mushrooms and diced roasted red peppers. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the surimi. Return to a simmer.
- Add the diced salmon and chopped basil leaves. Return to a simmer.
To Serve
- Plunge 1/4 of the egg noodles into boiling water for one minute. Drain .
- Place egg noodles in a bowl.
- Add soup.
- Top with a sprinkle of spring onions, diced chili, and chopped nuts.
Black rice waffles. Roasted ricotta red peppers
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