What could be better than boiling hot soup on a boiling hot day? Well, I apologise, but my cupboards were bare and I couldn’t be bothered to get the bus to Waitrose. So, instead, I sat in the sun and drank wine for nine straight hours, listening to The Little Mermaid soundtrack and crying – I don’t feel very well today.
Anyway, next week I’m off on hollibobs, so alas, you won’t be receiving a recipe from me, but expect something deliciously Italian on my return. In the meantime, let’s head to Asia and enjoy this rather tasty Thai green soup.
Thai green lentil soup Serves 4 / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 50 mins / V Vn Gf*Df ❄🌶
1 tsp coconut oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
50g Thai green curry paste* – I use Blue Dragon which is vegan and gluten free
1 can coconut milk
200g sweet potato (medium sized) peeled and cut into chunks
175g dried green lentils
1 litre vegetable stock*, I use 2 Knorr vegetable stock pots
Large handful of fresh coriander, including the stalks
Stick of lemon grass, bashed
Method
1. In a large cooking pot with a lid, sweat the chopped onions in the oil, over a medium/low heat for 10 mins with the lid on, stirring occasionally – add a dash of water if needed, to prevent burning.
2. Once soft, add the grated ginger, crushed garlic and the Thai green curry paste. Give it a good stir and cook for a further 3 mins. Add the sweet potato, coconut milk, stock, lentils and the bashed lemon grass and bring to the boil.
3. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Cut the storks off the bunch of coriander and add them to the soup. Cook for 5 more minutes. Finally take off the heat, fish out the lemon grass and blend, either with a hand blender or a food processor. Serve topped with chopped coriander leaves.
Thai green lentil curry
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy Gf – I useKnorrvegetable stock pots because they are gluten free but other stock pots/cubes may not be. Always check the label. ❄ – Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Consume within 3 months.
* Some Thai green curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish and may not be gluten free. Always check the label.
Have I mentioned that I once booked a month long trip to Thailand drunk? Well I did. Feeling sick and like I’d swallowed an ash tray, I remember my eyes squinting at about 8 confirmation emails about my trip. Trip? What trip?… Oh dear.
I scroll down one of the emails confused and dizzy, where the hell am I supposed to be going? Thailand it seems. To do what? Work with turtles. Okay, well that doesn’t sound too bad, now what’s that number? Is that a reference number? Oh wait, there’s a symbol in front of it, is that a pound sign?… £2,800… TWO THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED POUNDS!!!
After I’d finished being sick, I came to the conclusion that it could have been a lot worse. A ‘turtle’ project, could very easily have been a ‘lion’ project and I’m the kind of person who would totally get mauled by a lion.
So anyway, eight months later, off I went to Thailand to save the turtles. Not sure how many I actually saved, only saw a couple but I did get a very nice tan and ate lots of lovely Thai food. I was lucky enough to have all my meals cooked for me by an elderly Thai woman called Pah Nii. Most days, she’d make me a papaya salad that consisted of shredded unripe papaya, chilli, garlic, peanuts and lime. Finding an unripe papaya in London though was always going to be tricky, so instead, I’ve substituted it for raw courgette, which has a similar texture. It’s not quite as good as Pah-Nii’s, but it’s close. Enjoy!
Spicy Thai salad Serves 2 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 15 mins /V🌶 You’ll need: Pestle and mortar For the salad 2 medium courgettes, grated (or a large green papaya) Handful of green beans, cut into quarters 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 2 tbs dry roasted peanuts 1 lime cut into quarters For the dressing 1 garlic clove, peeled ½ medium red chilli, seeds in (less if you don’t want it too spicy) 1 tbs dry roasted peanuts 2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
Method
1. Grate the 2 courgettes and put in a large bowl, along with the chopped tomatoes and the green beans. Mix and put to one side.
2. In a pestle and mortar, mash together the chilli and the garlic with a good pinch of salt (no need to pre-chop these, mashing will combine into a paste). Keep mashing and bashing for a few minutes until you have a paste. Add a tbs of peanuts and continue to mash for another minute (it’s okay if the paste is a bit grainy).
3. Add the sugar, a tbs of soy sauce and 2 tbs of lime juice to the paste and continue to mash until incorporated.
4. Roughly chop the dry roasted peanuts and add them to the courgettes and give the salad a stir. Pour over the dressing and stir again until well dressed. Pour onto plates and serve with limes wedges.
Spicy Thai Salad
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
“Aren’t you going to look at the menu?”
“No way, I know what I’m having, I always have the Yasai Ramen… I don’t like change” I say pushing the unopened menu away from me.
“But it wouldn’t kill you to try something new” said Jamie burying his face deeper into the Wagamama menu. “How about the Yasai Itame”
With a big sigh I reluctantly pick up my menu again and scan the noodle soup section. “Where’s that then?”
“It’s under ‘curry'”
“No thank you” I say and abruptly close my menu again and push it towards him. “You know I always order noodle soup so stop trying to make me try new things, I hate new things!”
“Yes but it IS a noodle soup, just a curry one”…
“Is it?” I say perplexed and reach for my menu for a third time. “It has to have tofu in it though, does it have tofu in it? I bet it doesn’t” I say shaking my head doubtfully as I squint to read the fuzzy tiny words. Why do I never wear my fucking glasses? I literally have the eyesight of a dead mole rat.
“Yes it does have tofu in it” Jamie smirks.
“Oh… But does it have those horrible fat noodles in it? You know, the ones that look and taste like actual worms.”
“Udon noodles?”
“Yes Udon noodles, disgusting, I hate those.”
“No it doesn’t have those in it.”
“Oh” I say again, realising I’m losing this battle so I might as well give in. So I order the Yasai Itame against my better judgement and start thinking of ways to guilt trip Jamie on the way home, after I inevitably hate it. But I don’t of course, it’s bloody marvellous, damn it!
“Oh do shut up” I say to Jamie through a mouthful of delicious noodles.
“I didn’t say anything!” He protests.
“You don’t have to, I can hear your smugness.”
“Would you have it again?” Jamie asked grinning.
“Yes… In fact, I’m only ever going to order this from now on.”
Jamie rolls his eyes.
… The problem is dear reader, I really REALLY liked this dish but obviously can’t afford to eat at Wagamama every night. So I had a go at making my own version, which to my surprise actually worked (for once). Not only is it quick, it’s cheap and buys you enough ingredients to make four portions. The recipe below serves two but I found I had enough ingredients left over to make it again, I only had to buy an extra can of coconut milk, everything else I had far too much of. For example, spring onions tend to come in bunches of 6, pak choy in packs of 2, chestnut mushrooms 12-13 per packet and so on and so fourth. So why not double up and have some scrumptious leftovers for lunch? Unless you can think of anything else you can make with left over beansprouts other than stir fry? Exactly.
Yasai itame Serves 2 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 30 mins /V VnDf 🌶 100g rice noodles 1 tsp sesame oil
½ red onion sliced
3 spring onions, chopped 3 tbs Thai green curry paste*, I use Blue Dragon 2 tbs soy sauce 1 inch of bashed chopped lemon grass, finely chopped Knob of ginger, finely grated
1 can coconut milk
150g of firm tofu cut into cubes, I use Tofoo 1 bulb pak choi, roughly chopped ½ red pepper, sliced Handful sugar snap peas, chopped
6 chestnut mushrooms, sliced Handful bean sprouts 1 lime, cut into wedges to serve
Fresh coriander leaves to garnish (optional)
Method 1.Cook the rice noodles as per the packet instructions. Once cooked, immediately strain and rinse well with cold water to cool the noodles completely. Leave to drain. 2. Slice the red onion and roughly chop the spring onions before adding to heavy bottomed pan or wok with the oil. Cook on a medium heat for about 10 mins, adding a dash of water if needed to help them steam and prevent burning. 3. Stir in the Thai green curry paste and cook for a further minute before adding the finely grated ginger, lemongrass, coconut milk and soy sauce. Give it a good stir, add the tofu and bring to the boil. 4. Meanwhile start chopping the red pepper, sugar snap peas, pak choy and mushrooms. 5. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer before adding the chopped vegetables and the beansprouts – stir carefully to avoid breaking up the tofu. Simmer for 5 mins until the vegetables are nice and soft but still have a bit of crunch. 6. Evenly distribute the noodles into two deep bowls and spoon the curry over the top. Serve topped with fresh coriander leaves and lime wedges.
Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy
* Some Thai green curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish. Always check the label.
I tried and rather spectacularly failed last week to make a Thai Green Curry.
“It’s not that bad darling” said Jamie wincing slightly as he took another bite.
“It’s ruined!” I screeched as I dramatically flounced out the room to have a full blown Thai Green tantrum. I mean how difficult could it be? I didn’t even make the paste myself!… Once I’d calmed down, I apologised to Jamie and sulkily ate my vile curry on the metaphorical naughty step. But how had I got it so wrong?
After careful dissection of my own recipe I identified three major errors. The first was using reduced fat coconut milk. The second was adding too much stock. The third was substituting rice wine vinegar for cider vinegar and using two tablespoons of it. Gross!
So Thai green curry – you big fat idiot – I will not be defeated by you. I have revised my recipe and changed you into a Thai red curry and now you taste nice. Thank god, because I’m not sure Jamie could cope with another one of my curry tantrums.
Thai red curry with tofu
Serves 4 / Hands on time 30 mins / Total time 45 mins / V Vn Df 🌶
1 tsp rapeseed or coconut oil
1 small white onion, diced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
400g butternut squash, peeled and diced
280g of firm tofu cubed
1 stork lemongrass, bashed
1 tsp brown sugar
1 can of coconut milk
3tbs or 100g Thai red curry paste* – I use Blue Dragon which is vegan
200ml vegetable stock, I use 1 Knorr stock pot
1 tbs light soy sauce
2 handfuls of kale
100g sugar snap peas
1 bulb pak choy, roughly chopped
1 lime
Handful coriander, chopped
2 chopped red chillies to serve (optional)
FYI: Thai red curry paste contains chilli but if you like your curry extra hot, then I suggest you add a chilli or a tsp of chilli flakes.
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over a medium heat and sauté the onions, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes, stirring continually – add a dash of water to prevent the mixture from sticking if needed.
2. Add the butternut squash and cook for a further few minutes before adding the curry paste. Cook for an additional few minutes.
3. Add the coconut milk, vegetable stock, soy sauce, brown sugar and the bashed lemon grass. Bring to the boil and add the tofu. Reduce the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid a jar. Add the kale, sugar snap peas and pak choy and cook a further 5 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon grass. Roll the lime on a hard surface to loosen it and then cut it in half before squeezing over the curry. Give it a good stir and serve with rice and a sprinkling of fresh coriander and chopped red chillies.
Thai Red Tofu Curry
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free. 🌶– Spicy
* Some Thai red curry pastes contain crustaceans and fish. Always check the label.
When I went to Thailand a couple of years ago, I became a bit scared of coconuts. The locals told me that the most common death on the Island, was ‘death by fallen coconut’. I remember thinking, I can’t allow a coconut to be the thing that kills me, how embarrassing! So I spent the rest of the month constantly looking up and walking into trees/beach huts/local children etc. Managed not to die in the end though so that was good.
Anyway, I’m a little reluctant to call this a ‘Thai’ curry, as I’m not really sure what constitutes a ‘Thai’ curry. Hmm… Anyway, I like to freeze half of mine so there’s plenty for me to defrost and eat when I roll in drunk after a night out. Standard.
Butternut & coconut curry Serves 4 / Hands on time 15 mins / Total time 1 hour 15 mins / V Vn Df❄🌶
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
Knob of fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp red miso paste
1 tbs light soy sauce
¼ chilli flakes
1 lemongrass stork, bashed
300g butternut squash, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 aubergine, chopped into chunks
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped Brown basmati rice to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C /180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6. Put the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, miso paste, soy sauce, grated ginger, chilli flakes and bashed lemon grass into a large pot and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, wash and drain your chickpeas and put to one side.
2. Once bubbling, add the chopped butternut squash and the aubergine before putting the lid on a-jar and cook in the oven for 30 mins.
3. Carefully remove from the oven, add the chickpeas, replace the lid a-jar and cook for a further 30 mins.
4. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5 mins. Meanwhile chop the coriander. Carefully fish out the lemon grass stork, stir in the coriander and serve with brown basmati rice.
If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.
V– Vegetarian Vn– Vegan Df– Dairy free 🌶– Spicy ❄–Suitable for home freezing once cooled. Store in an airtight container and consume within 3 months
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