Thai Red Noodle Soup with Seared Lion’s Mane Mushrooms and Crispy Tofu

Ingredients

• 1 onion (Finely diced)
• 1 carrot (Finely diced)
• 1 pepper (Finely diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (Minced)
• 1 ginger (One thumb-size piece, minced)
• 1 lemongrass stalk (Bashed)
• 4 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 750 ml vegetable stock (Add more if required)
• 200 g rice noodles
• 200 g firm tofu (Press out some moisture and cut into chunks)
• 2 lion’s mane mushrooms (For searing; quantity is count-based and mushroom sizes are unspecified)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (Used to season the mushrooms and tofu)
• 1 lime (Juice for seasoning and wedges for serving)
• fresh coriander (Small bunch, for topping)
• red chilli (For garnish)
• spring onion (For garnish)
• cornflour (Enough to coat the tofu)
• sweetener (Optional, to taste, if required)
• salt (A pinch for sautéing and more to taste)
• pepper (To taste)
• neutral oil (For sautéing, searing, and shallow-frying; amount described as a splash or glug)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely dice the onion, carrot, and pepper. Mince the garlic and ginger, and bash the lemongrass stalk to release its flavor.

2. 2

   Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat and add a splash of neutral oil. Add the diced onion, carrot, and pepper with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3–5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.

3. 3

   Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and bashed lemongrass. Sauté for 1 minute, until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the Thai red curry paste and mix well. Cook it for 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor.

5. 5

   Pour in the coconut milk, followed by the vegetable stock. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes.

6. 6

   Season the broth to taste with salt, lime juice, and sweetener if required. Add pepper to taste if desired.

7. 7

   While the broth simmers, heat a pan. Add the lion’s mane mushrooms and sear them, pressing out their moisture as they cook.

8. 8

   Add a splash of neutral oil to coat the mushrooms and season them with soy sauce.

9. 9

   Press out some moisture from the tofu and slice it into chunks.

10. 10

    Coat the tofu chunks well in cornflour. Heat a glug of vegetable oil in a pan and shallow-fry the tofu until golden and crisp on each side. Season with soy sauce.

11. 11

    Cook the rice noodles according to the package directions.

12. 12

    Divide the cooked noodles among bowls and ladle the hot broth over them.

13. 13

    Top each bowl with the seared mushroom, crispy tofu, and fresh coriander. Garnish with red chilli, spring onion, and a lime wedge. Serve immediately.

Notes

The recipe says toppings may be adapted to taste. The amount of cornflour, oil, salt, pepper, and optional sweetener is not specified. The source does not specify the noodle cooking time or the exact size of the mushrooms.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• noodles
• vegan
• vegetarian
• dairy-free
• Thai-inspired
• crispy tofu