Thai Garlic Soup with Rice Noodles for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Nothing soothes and comforts more than a bowlful of flavorful noodles. I have had the Thai Garlic Soup in Molly Katzen's Still Life With Menu Cookbook tagged to make for ages now and feeling slightly stuffy on a "voggy" weekend, decided to adapt it as the base of a garlicky Thai-inspired noodle bowl.


The recipe was a great starting point for adaptation. I made several changes to the ingredients based on what I had on hand and to give more Thai flavors to the soup. My ingredient changes are in red below.


Thai Garlic Soup with Rice Noodles
Adapted from Thai Garlic Soup, Still Life With Menu by Mollie Katzen
(Yield 6 Servings with Noodles)

(1 pack rice noodles (I used Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles), cooked according to package instructions and drained.)

4 to 5 Tbsp minced garlic (I used 3 Tbsp due to the garlic-ginger broth base)
(2 stalks lemongrass, peeled, sliced in 2-inch pieces and bruised)
2 Tbsp peanut oil (I used 1 Tbsp coconut oil)
6 cups light stock or water (I used this ginger-garlic broth recipe)
4 to 5 tsp soy sauce (I used 1 Tbsp low-sodium tamari)
3 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
2 medium-sized carrots, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch lengths
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional) (I used 3 smallish stalks)
a few mushrooms, sliced (optional) (I used about 8 white mushrooms)
(8-10 stalks of asparagus cut on the diagonal in 1/2-inch pieces)
(juice of 1 lime)
crushed red pepper, to taste
(chopped cilantro to garnish)
(sweet chili sauce or samba oelek to serve)

In a soup pot or Dutch oven, saute the garlic and lemongrass pieces in oil over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden brown, just a few minutes. Add stock, tamari, cabbage, carrots, and celery, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer about 1o minutes, until vegetables start to get tender. Add mushrooms and asparagus and simmer another 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass pieces with a slotted spoon, add lime juice and a few crushed red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

To serve, place rice noodles in a deep bowl and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle cilantro on top and serve with chili sauce or samba oelek for optional extra spice.


Notes/Results: Soothing, filling and delicious. In addition to getting that garlic golden and flavorful, the key to this one is a good broth with lots of flavor. Even with the homemade garlic-ginger broth I used, the garlic doesn't smack you over the head, but it is there in all its savory garlicky glory. You can use whatever veggies you have on hand for this, I had some extra asparagus in the veggie bin so I threw it in. With the mushrooms and noodles, I found it very satisfying, but if you want a little something more, you can added a protein of your choice. The lemongrass and lime juice add brightness, which I like in Thai-style dishes, the pepper flakes give it a hit of spice, and rice noodles make it gluten-free. Healthy and good, I would make this again.



This bowl of noodle goodness is headed for one of my favorite events, Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by its founder Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. Check out her roundup on Friday of all kinds of delicious pasta creations.


We have a few friends waiting in the Souper Sundays kitchen, let's take a look.

Margo at SaucyCooks.com made this hearty "The Most Amazing Vegan Chili." Margo says, "As I prepped it, I thought about all the great things that were going into it. Black beans, cumin seeds, yellow peppers and onion are all great in combination and certainly pack a nutritional punch. I, of course, can never leave a recipe alone and added coriander because for me, cumin and coriander, if not married, are at least living together in a healthy, loving relationship. With that in mind, I have both black beans and white beans, which to me are so much prettier together. Since I have fresh oregano, gotta add some of that. The final product is beautifully colorful and amazingly flavorful. I LOVE THIS RECIPE and I love when I can get really excited about a recipe."



Rachel, The Crispy Cook recently reviewed a dairy-free and gluten-free cookbook and tried the Creamy Broccoli Soup recipe it contained saying, "I made a batch of silky Broccoli Soup, which was delicious and creamy. I am delighted to be able to share the recipe with you so that you can test drive this great cookbook for yourself with this dish." Check out her post for the recipe, a photo of the completed dish and a chance to win a copy of this cookbook for your own.

Corina of Searching for Spice says, "Usually when I put carrot in a soup I add it along with a lot of other vegetables. It’s not a carrot a soup, it just contains some carrot. Yes, I have made carrot soup, about five years ago but I found it very sweet. Too sweet and so carrot soup has been one to avoid since then. Then, a few months ago I came across this recipe for Carrot and Tahini Soup on Eats Well with Others. It got me thinking. The sweetness of the carrots would be balanced out by the bitterness of the tahini. Hmmm. Maybe carrot soup could be delicious after all, just like carrots dipped in houmous."

Janet of The Taste Space has a healthy Wild Rice and Edamame Salad with a Lemon-Miso Dressing to share this week and says, "Now about this salad. It is another salad bursting with whole foods and boasts a higher protein content. Wild rice is not rice at all, instead it is a seed. Higher in protein, with a lower glycemic index, it is a great gluten-free option for hearty salads. Coupled with edamame and tofu, loaded with carrots, sprinkled with greens and doused in a sesame-lemon-miso dressing, you have an unassuming salad that will make you anticipate lunch time."



Heather of girlichef tried April Bloomfield's Warm Bacon and Egg Salad this week and says, "I chose this salad to represent April this week because I think it showcases some of the best local ingredients around...plus it's simple and tasty. These gorgeous organic eggs are from a local farmer, the bacon, arugula, and chives were found in my local farmer's market. The golden, garlicky bread crumbs are from a loaf of bread that I made in my kitchen. Fresh, local ingredients and simplicity combine to make deliciously satisfying eating."



Tigerfish of Teczcape - An Escape to Food has a sandwich this week, this Asparagus Salmon Loaf Sandwich Burger. She says, "There was something going on in my head when I baked the quiche-frittata loaf in a deep loaf pan. A purpose. To make this sandwich-burger. This is an easy and tasty idea from the Smoked Salmon and Asparagus Loaf made earlier. Grill/toast burger buns (English muffins used here), prepare some lettuce (baby spinach or arugula works too), and in goes the salmon-asparagus slice. "


Some great dishes this week--thanks to everyone who joined in! If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!