Hot and Sour Vegetable and Noodle Broth

This is a great meal in a bowl soup that takes only minutes to put together and is a great base for using up veggie odds and ends. This recipe uses a great store cupboard staple, Tom Yum paste, which is a Thai ready-made spicy paste. To make it a more substantial meaty main meal try adding some leftover pork or chicken.

By Caroline Marson
Cookery advisor All recipes by Caroline Marson

Ingredients show imperial units

Serves 4

  • 4 tablespoons Tom Yum paste
  • 1 litre boiling water
  • Leftover vegetables such as peppers, cabbage, carrots, pak choi, French beans, sugar snap peas, broccoli, leeks, peas, baby corn, mushrooms, spinach, beansprouts.
  • 400ml coconut milk
  • Lime juice to flavour
  • Sprigs of coriander
  • 50g Egg or rice noodles

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan dissolve the tom yum paste in the water. Then add your chosen vegetables and gently simmer to allow the vegetables to be poached until just tender, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add the coconut milk, rice noodles and season with lime juice. Serve in warm bowls with sprigs of fresh coriander.

Health Note

Tom Yum paste is packed with chillies and Thai spices. in response to the burning taste of chillies, it is believed that the brain releases endorphins – painkilling chemical compounds that, at high levels give a sensation of pleasure.

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Comments on this recipe

  • Ali Benson-Smith

    I made this last week and it will certainly become a regular recipe for me. Really quick to make, extremely tasty and very satisfying. I got my Tom Yum paste from a Chinese supermarket so it was very cheap - this is also the cheapest place to buy coconut milk rather than the usual supermarkets.

    Posted on 08 May 2008 at 14:42
  • Jess

    Tried this with a pack of stir fry veg that was past frying, and some yellow Thai curry paste that also needed using up - it's delicious and it must have cost max one pound to make - so chuffed! Thanks so much, some great ideas on this site.

    Posted on 01 Aug 2009 at 17:22

Comments on this recipe