Coconut curry soup (tom yom variation)

The story: Well when I lived in Manhattan, I lived down the street from this nice little Thai restaurant, called the Blue Angel. When Kourtney and I would eat there, we would often get the spicy vegetable soup. We both loved it, though Kourtney always gave me the baby corn that was in it. We often thought of recreating the soup, and so we got the ingredients, at least as best as we could find them. I decided to make this soup on a very cold November night, when I had been out doors for a while. This is a great pick me/you up for a day like that. The soup recipe is essentially a tom yom recipe, though I adapted it to a more vegetarian friendly version. Tom yom soup is a very popular, and I might add a rather tasty, Thai soup. I replaced some of the standard ingredients simply because I used what was on hand , as I couldn't find a few necessary ingredients for the original recipe. The resturant has since closed down, but its soup lives on. (sort of)

* Note: Unlike most of the pictures posted, this is not a photo of my own. It is just similar stock photo found on Google images. Obviously mine would not have shrimp on top.

the dish: coconut curry soup (a tom yom variant)
3 cups of rich vegetable broth
1/4 cup of dry sherry cooking wine
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/4 cup of water
2 heaping tbs of coconut milk
2 heaping tbs of red curry paste (green works just as well)
1/3 cup of chopped shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup of thinly sliced red bell pepper
1 largish lime ( this replaces lemon grass, which can be a pain to deal with)
1/3 of a block of cubed tofu
4 scallion stalks
4 lime leaves
2-3 Thai bird chili peppers
2 ramen noodle blocks (optional. I used a egg noodle version of the ramen style noodles)


Pour the broth into a large pot and bring to a boil. While it is heating up, add the lime leaves and the bird chilies. I don't suggest chopping up the chilies, as they are spectacularly hot, and this is coming from someone who sucks down sambal with the best of them. Andrew Zimmern, from bizarre foods, described these peppers as "nuclear" so be careful of them. The leaves and the peppers will be removed before serving so don't chop them or break them up. When the broth comes to a boil, add the wet ingredients. Wait till the soup returns to a boil and then add the mushrooms and the bell pepper. The mushrooms with create a much richer broth, while the bell pepper will add a mild sweetness. Let the soup continue to boil for another 5-6 minutes, and then add the cubed tofu. Now for the lime. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze out the juice from both halves into the pot. If you really want the lime flavor to stand out, grate a little of the lime zest into the soup as well. Lastly, add the scallions. Stir and lower the temperature to a simmer. Get another pot, a small one preferably, and boil 3 or four cups of water. It should come to a boil very quickly, and when it does, add the noodles. The noodles shouldn't cook more than 3 minutes. Drain the water, and spray them with a small amount of oil. Do not add them to the soup itself, place them in your bowl and them pour the soup on top. This way the noodles don't get overly soggy. Don't forget to take out the lime leaves and the chilies before serving!!!

Eat and enjoy!!