February 4, 2010
Coconut Soup with Noodles and Mushrooms
Coconut Soup with Noodles and Mushrooms
If you are tired of sandwiches for lunch or the same pasta dishes for dinner, try making something new. It only takes 15 minutes to make a bowl of this delicious Thai-inspired, nutrient-rich soup.
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 cup sliced mushrooms
4 ounces cooked rice noodles
Chicken Broth
Broth gives a low-calorie base flavor to this simple soup. Use vegetable broth to make the recipe vegetarian.
Bring broth to a simmer over medium high heat. If you have a piece of ginger root or lemongrass in your refrigerator, toss it in to infuse the broth with even more flavor.
Light Coconut Milk
Coconut milk makes the texture silky and is the main flavor in this dish. The light version has half the fat and calories and is still “coconutty.” Coconut is one of the few plant sources of less-healthy saturated fat, but it’s also full of minerals such as iron and magnesium for healthy red blood cells and bones.
Hoisin Sauce
Many Thai-style soups call for a long list of ingredients such as fish sauce, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce. Prepared hoisin sauce contains many of these for an easy all-in-one substitute — look for it where you buy soy sauce in the grocery store.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms give a hearty bite and earthy flavor that compliments the coconut broth; they’re also one of the only plant sources of vitamin D.
Rice Noodles
Tender rice noodles make this soup a deliciously filling meal — they’re also fat-cholesterol-and gluten-free.
Cook the noodles ahead of time in boiling water for 4 to 6 minutes.
Add coconut milk, hoisin, mushrooms and noodles; mix well to combine flavors and dissolve hoisin sauce. Return to a simmer, cook for 10 to 12 minutes and serve.
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