Red Curry Salmon, Greens & Jasmine Rice Soup for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

It's a hazy voggy weekend here on Oahu which does not do my asthma and allergies any favors. Time for soup with some spice, garlic and ginger to clear out my cloggy head. Asian-inspired soups are perfect for that and for being made quickly, without a lot of effort.

When I made Donna Hay's Coconut & Salmon Laksa a couple of weeks ago, I ran out of the noodles before the soup so I enjoyed the remainder ladled on top of rice. Wonderfully comforting. Then, I made a chicken and rice version for a friend out of surgery and battling infection which he liked. Still, the salmon-curry-rice variation kept hanging on in my mind so I decided to make it into its own soup.

Red Curry Salmon, Greens & Jasmine Rice Soup
by Deb, Kahakai KItchen
(Makes 4-5 Servings)

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and finely grated ginger
2 Tbsp red curry paste or to taste
3-4 kaffir limes leaves, torn
1 stalk lemon grass, peeled and bruised and chopped into 2-inch pieces
1 carrot, thinly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce 
1 can light coconut milk 
juice of 1 lime or to taste
12 ounces skinless wild salmon fillet, cubed
4 cups baby spinach & baby bok choy or other greens of choice, sliced  
1 cup snow peas, sliced into thirds
1/3 cup Thai basil, sliced thinly
 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice
cilantro leaves, chopped to garnish
red chili, sliced thinly to garnish
lime wedges  to serve

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste and stir-fry for another minute. Add the kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, carrot slices and broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add the fish sauce, stir in coconut milk and add lime juice to taste. Put in salmon, greens, snow peas and Thai basil and simmer until greens are wilted and salmon is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

To serve, place a serving of Jasmine rice in individual deep bowls. Ladle soup on top and garnish with chopped cilantro and sliced red chili. Serve with lime wedges if desired. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: Ahh.. craving fulfilled. This is a savory bowl of comfort and good flavors. Nicely spicy and good texture with the the rice and slightly wilted greens plus the crispness of the carrots and snow pea pods. I like to cook the rice separately and add the broth to it right before serving so it retains it shape and texture. Filling without being heavy, this is a good one for a cool, dreary day. I will make it again. 

It's a little quiet in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week but we have a soup and some yummy bean burgers to savor. Let's take a look.

Janet of The Taste Space shares this homey White Bean Paprikash with Soy Curls and says, "This was a fun, delicious paprikash stew. Smoked paprika with total tomato goodness (canned tomatoes, paste AND sun-dried tomatoes) create a luscious base. I had no red wine, and I thought Marmite would have been a good substitute since I loved it in my Beefy Mushroom and Cranberry Stew. However, with no Marmite here, I devised a fun substitute: miso and nutritional yeast. I figured it was that umami we were after and it worked! A touch of balsamic vinegar added a sweet-sour-acid thing. The soy curls were akin to thicker meat strands, but there were also white beans and thicker slabs of red pepper. This really brought me back to eating paprikash and dumplings as a child."

My friend Kim of Stirring the Pot and I are participating in The New Southwest Cookbook Spotlight event and we both made the fabulous Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts for our "blogger's choice" recipe pick. Kim says, "These pinto bean burgers are seasoned with a heavy dose of cumin, black pepper, coriander, and garlic so they are mighty flavorful.  Crunchy on the exterior and creamy on the inside this is one powerhouse of a breakfast that will keep you full way into the afternoon. They were a big hit at my house!"

At Kahakai Kitchen, I was equally as enamored with those same Pinto Bean Breakfast Patty Melts finding them to be very satisfying and full of wonderful southwest flavors. I especially liked mine with a layer of baby spinach beneath and topped with a dollop of guacamole and a little hot sauce. Mmm... 

Thanks to Janet and KIm for joining in this week. If you have a soup, salad or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on my side bar for all of the details. 

Have a happy, healthy week!