Green Noodle Soup with Coconut Lemongrass Broth {vegan}
Fragrant broth infused with ginger, lemongrass, and cilantro bathes chewy black rice noodles and a mess of veggies in this Southeast Asian-inspired green noodle soup
Prep Time: 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 15 minutesminutes
Total: 35 minutesminutes
Servings: 4main dish servings
Ingredients
4cupsvegetable broth (I use Laura’s recipe in her book)
2stalks fresh lemongrass, chopped
1tablespoon(15 ml) extra-virgin coconut oil
1medium shallot, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1small green chili (Serrano or jalapeño), seeded and minced (use more or less depending on how much spice you like)
2-inchpiece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3cupstrimmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 1/4"-inch thick, 200 g)
1 ½cupsromanesco, cauliflower, or broccoli in 1-inch pieces (from 1 small head)
1cupsliced zucchini in ¼-inch rounds (from about 2 small zucchini)
1cup(250 ml) full-fat coconut milk
1cup(250 ml) tightly packed cilantro leaves
1teaspoon(5 ml) tamari
2tablespoons(30 ml) fresh lime juice
handful fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
4ouncesrice noodles, cooked according to the package instructions and rinsed in cool water
lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
In a medium pot, bring the vegetable stock and chopped lemongrass to a boil. Remove from the heat and allow the lemongrass to steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the lemongrass, reserving the broth.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, chilli, and ginger, sautéing until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add the shiitakes and saute until nearly tender, 5-10 minutes, adding a splash of broth if the pan seems dry. Add the romanesco, zucchini, and the broth. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the coconut milk and cilantro in a blender and puree until very smooth.
When the vegetables are cooked, add the cilantro coconut milk to the soup along with the tamari, lime juice, and basil. Taste, adding salt and pepper if you feel the soup needs it. The soup should still be warm, but if it isn’t, gently heat until just steaming (heating it too much will turn the cilantro brown).
Divide the noodles among bowls and top with the soup, passing lime wedges at the table. The soup is prettiest when freshly made but will keep, refrigerated airtight, for 1-2 days.
Notes
Adapted lightly from The First Mess Cookbook.Feel free to use any vegetables you like here– the original uses snow peas, broccoli, and tofu. Other good additions could be steamed winter squash, sweet corn, bell peppers, carrots, asparagus, and eggplant.I use black rice noodles from Lotus Foods, but any rice noodle will do the trick.This soup is brightest when freshly made (take care not to overheat or you’ll turn the cilantro brown), but the flavors come out nicely after a day in the fridge, too.Nutritional values are based on one of four servings.